The Stars Were Rearranged
by LittleRedLily
Summary: Pranks. Flying Flobberworms. A little love. A killer vampire. Lily. Marauders. Quidditch. Hogsmeade. Curfew-breaking wanderings. Full moon. As uncliché-ish and canon as I can possibly get it. And it has a plot. Sort of. First fanfic; enjoy!
1. Unfelt Feelings and Hidden Messages

**Disclaimer: Most of the characters, places and events that take place in this story belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: First fanfic on this website. Enjoy! (:**

**A/N 2 (March '12): I hate this fanfic. When I first started writing it, I was just a kid, full of strange ideas and stuff. Putting them down onto paper was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made. So I really hate this fanfic. It's absolutely absurd. The fact that others seem to like it keeps me from deleting it. So … be careful. Before you make any criticisms, please check out the very last chapter.**

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- Chapter One -

~ Unfelt Feelings and Hidden Messages ~

Steam billowed from the Hogwarts Express, signalling students to make their way to the train and leave their families behind.

But Lily Evans did this somewhat gladly, as though she was keen to get to school and desperate to break free from her family. Or was it just her jealous sister, Petunia? Whatever it was, Lily heaved her suitcase onto the train and found an empty compartment. She tried stowing her suitcase in the storage above, but found this difficult, especially as she was already in her school cloak, which prevented much movement. She dropped the suitcase once, and sighed. Shaking her long, dark red hair back and taking a deep breath, she tried again.

'Would you like some help?' came a deep voice from behind her.

Lily turned around so quickly she almost cricked her neck. Standing in front of her was a tall, bespectacled, hazel-eyed boy with stubbornly messy dark hair. James Potter. Really? Potter never used to not have a smile on his face or a childish twinkle in his eyes. Also, he had a ruby badge pinned to the chest of his robes … he's never had a ruby badge pinned to his robes. It was true he had reformed slightly in the past year, but he was still James Potter, still a troublemaker.

'No, thanks,' she said coldly, turning back to the overhead storage.

She attempted to stow her suitcase away again, but only managed to lift it above her head until her arm gave way. The suitcase slipped out of her delicate hands and hit her head with a loud _thud_. She squealed slightly, but didn't say anything.

'Are you okay?' James asked concernedly, stepping forwards to see if Lily was alright. He spun her on the spot and checked her head.

She broke free from his gentle grip. 'I'm fine, Potter,' she said irritably. Lily couldn't quite figure out why she was so annoyed – he hadn't said or done anything rude … yet.

'That looks quite –'

'Hey, PRONGS!' Sirius shouted, his handsome features glowing as he entered the compartment of the stationary train and putting an arm around James's shoulder. He casually flicked his dark hair out of his eyes and said, 'How ya doing, ol' buddy, ol' pal, ol' friend?'

Two other boys entered alongside an overjoyed Sirius: one a tall, thin boy with pale brown hair and a weary face grouped with dark shadows underneath his light brown eyes, but a warm smile stretched across his face; the other was shorter by a head, and plump in the extreme, with mousey brown hair. His eyes were watery blue and betrayed the awe he felt for his clique.

'Sirius, we talked literally five minutes ago,' said James slowly. 'You _live _with me.'

'And I still never get tired of seeing you,' said Sirius reminiscently, pretending to wipe water from his eyes.

James shook his head and shrugged Sirius's arm off his shoulder, just as Sirius asked, 'What're we doing here, anyway? Alright, Evans?'

Lily merely nodded in his direction, but gave Remus a kind smile.

'How was your holiday?' Remus asked her conversationally.

'Okay, you know,' Lily grinned, 'what with Petunia and all. What about yours?'

'Painful,' he groaned.

'Huh?'

Remus was spared from answering as Lily's mother appeared at the window of their compartment.

She began fussing. 'Okay, now, Lily, don't forget to take care of yourself and all. Eat well – not too much junk food or you'll fall ill –' the train whistled loudly and began moving, 'stay safe and don't go – wandering into the Forbidden Forest –' the Hogwarts Express gathered a lot of speed, 'have a nice term and don't get distracted from your N.E.W.T.s – I love you –' She finally came to a halt as she couldn't keep up with her daughter.

'I love you, too, Mum,' Lily shouted out of the window. She turned back around to resume useless attempts to store her suitcase away, but didn't find it or the Marauders behind her. Looking confused, she looked up and found it sitting neatly above her. It had then occurred to Lily that she could have used _Wingardium Leviosa_.

Shaking her head and giggling at her stupidity, Lily sat down and stared out of the window, awaiting her girls' arrivals.

Barely a second after thinking about them, the compartment door slid open again, but this time it was only friendly faces who entered.

First in was a beautiful, bold girl, with tanned skin and a gorgeous, toothy smile, and long, curly, midnight hair. Vanessa Gills was closely followed by Alice Knight, a slight girl with twinkling blue eyes and shoulder-length dark hair, which hung loosely around her friendly round face.

After Alice, Aaliyah entered. She was a timid sort of girl, similar to Alice. She had slightly longer and wavy chocolate brown hair, and piercing hazel eyes. She also had this aura about her, as though she could read people's minds. It was unnerving at first, but, as they'd been friends since their first year at Hogwarts – almost seven years ago – Lily was no longer perturbed by Aaliyah's queerness.

Behind Aaliyah was Cassie, a dark-haired, somewhat furtive girl, who was awesome if she was a friend, but scary if an enemy.

'Hey, Lily,' said Vanessa brightly, sitting beside her best friend. 'I knew you'd get that,' she added, pointing to the ruby badge reading _Head Girl_, which was pinned to Lily's chest.

Lily grinned while Alice and Aaliyah squealed.

'Nice one, Lils,' said Cassie coolly, clapping Lily on the shoulder and sitting opposite her.

Lily's grin suddenly faded when she remembered –

'_Potter's_ Head Boy. Potter. James Potter,' she panicked. 'I don't understand why – he wasn't even a Prefect!'

Vanessa shrugged. 'You guys look good together?'

'Firstly, no,' she said quickly. 'Secondly, we sound no better. I don't know if you've been living with your eyes closed for the past six years, but me plus Potter equals shouting matches normally.'

'Then let's see who takes home the trophy,' said Vanessa in a cheery voice.

'Not funny, Nessa …'

'You two haven't been too bad in the last year,' said Aaliyah encouragingly. 'Besides, it could be worse. You could be not Head Girl at all. And I really think James has changed in the past year. He hasn't been picking on people that much, surely _you've_ noticed that.'

Lily changed the subject abruptly, not wanting to voice her ideas of Aaliyah's theory. She didn't want to appear observant of recent changes around James.

It was only half an hour into the conversation that a girl came bursting into the compartment. 'L-Lily Evans, you were meant to be at the Heads' compartment to give instructions to Prefects. James Potter sent me here …'

Lily stared at the second-year with her confused, emerald eyes. 'Oh!' she gasped when realisation hit her. 'I totally forgot! Sorry, I'll try being quick,' she added to her friends, dashing away.

'No worries,' she heard Vanessa call after her.

Lily trekked down the corridor of the train, passing noisy first-years, giggling girls and boisterous boys, until the second-year left Lily at the compartment near the front of the train.

She entered with her face almost as colourful as her hair.

'You're late,' said one of the Slytherin Prefects.

'I'm not late – you're all early,' Lily said convincingly, making some laugh; even James grinned. 'Anyway, to work,' she said hastily, not missing James's grin.

They spent about an hour in the stuffy compartment, running through Prefect duties and answering queries raised by Prefects.

Midway through a Hufflepuff asking yet another question, the door slid open and an olive water balloon-like object was thrown into the room. Down the corridor was a shout of, 'Prongs, Prongs! Come on! Quick!' which could belong to no one besides Sirius Black.

'Padfoot, I thought I told you no,' James called back. 'Sorry about this, guys, I'll just be a sec. Excuse me,' he mumbled, walking past Lily. His pleasurable scent tickled her nose and she fell into a trance …

Suddenly, the object exploded and revealed it was a dungbomb in disguise. The room was engulfed in a nasty, limey cloud of smoke which stunk so bad that some, Lily included, had to bury their faces in their cloaks for cover.

James entered then, like some sort of a superhero, and sprayed the room all over. The sickening stench vanished along with the fog and they could all breathe again.

'Thanks,' said Lily gratefully.

The rude Slytherin boy loudly piped, 'What was that about? Why can't you and your freaky friends get lost?'

'You can't talk like that to James Potter!' whispered a fifth-year Hufflepuff, looking astounded. Lily didn't like the way she said James's name; as though James was someone to be worshipped.

James smiled at her, but ignored the Slytherin and turned to Lily. 'I can assure you, I didn't set this up.'

Lily was confused beyond words. Not only did James Potter shun the opportunity to humiliate a Slytherin, but he claimed he wasn't in on the joke.

'Alright, lovebirds, we get it,' said the Slytherin curtly.

Both Lily and James blushed, but Lily fiercely said, 'One more remark from you and that's twenty points off Slytherin.'

He laughed hardly. 'You think I care what you have to say? You filthy Mudblood?'

James and many Prefects stood up abruptly and angrily. 'Say another word …' muttered James sternly, stressing every syllable.

'It's okay,' said Lily gently to all the Prefects. 'I've been a part of the Wizarding World for years now. I'm kind of used to it.'

'Doesn't give him the right to say … that word,' said James quietly, not taking his eyes off the Slytherin, but slowly sitting down back next to Lily.

'No, but it doesn't give you the right to threaten him, either,' said Lily coolly. 'Returning to the q and a session …'

They spent another half hour in the hot compartment; Lily and James tried opening the windows, but that did no good, and it began raining after five minutes.

So they were all glad when the meeting was over and they could go back to their separate and cooler compartments. The candles were lit as the sky darkened. Eventually, the Hogwarts Express came to a halt. Lily and James along with some prefects had to supervise the students getting off. They eventually stepped out of the empty train to find Hagrid, the Gamekeeper, had already left with the first-years.

'Come on,' said James, sounding business-like.

He led them to the horseless carriages. James took a look at the carriage and frowned, before comprehension dawned on his face. No one else knew it, but he could see Thestrals now. He didn't want to talk about it, though. They all squeezed onto a carriage. It was quite uncomfortable as the Slytherin prefect who had called Lily a Mudblood took up quite a bit of space, so Lily found herself pressing against James.

Eventually, they reached Hogwarts and Lily caught up with Aaliyah and Vanessa at the Gryffindor table. Unfortunately, they had chosen seats opposite the Marauders.

'What?' questioned Sirius, discomfited by the Lily Evans Glower. 'James is Head Boy – he should be supporting the ickle first-years in whatever house they go to.'

'Shut up,' Lily and James said in unison, in the same flat tone.

'Dude, I'm sticking up for you!' gasped Sirius. 'This is the thanks I get?'

A giggle escaped from Vanessa's lips, earning her strange stares from Remus, James, Lily and Aaliyah – Sirius and Vanessa got along almost as bad as Lily and James. Sirius, however, merely stared at his lap.

'Can we have some silence, please?' Professor McGonagall called clearly. A strange hush immediately fell upon the students as McGonagall addressed the terrified first-years: 'Now, when I call your name, you must come up here, sit on this stool and try on the Sorting Hat. Once you have been given your house name, you must sit at that table and watch where your classmates go.

'Atchison, Harley.'

A nervous and petite blonde stepped up to the stool. A minute had barely passed until the Sorting Hat shouted, 'HUFFLEPUFF.'

Some other first-years took longer to sort, such as 'Millen, Stewart,' who wore the Hat for two whole minutes before announced as a Ravenclaw.

Others took barely a second – like 'Osman, Nathan,' who Sirius assured was a Slytherin, by the mean look of him. And sure enough, the Sorting Hat cried 'Slytherin' before the hat had touched his hair.

'Come _on_,' Sirius grumbled, his stomach rumbling loudly as he said it. 'I think I'm gonna die of starvation.'

'You ate on the train, Padfoot,' said Remus tiredly, rolling his eyes.

'The train journey was _years_ ago,' Sirius exaggerated.

Remus chucked Sirius a chocolate frog, which he gobbled up gratefully.

Lily shook her head slightly, and Sirius didn't fail to notice this.

'What, Evans?'

'Sirius, be quiet,' said James quietly – the Sorting Ceremony wasn't over and people in the vicinity were beginning to stare.

'Sure, stick up for Evans,' said Sirius wearily. 'We all know you can't get enough of her.'

'Shut UP,' Lily and James shouted simultaneously.

'When you're done …' Professor McGonagall waited.

'Sorry, Professor,' Lily apologised, blushing again.

James smirked faintly, as though her blush amuses him. 'What?' she hissed to him, but he just shook his head in reply, smirk faded. Somewhat infuriated, Lily turned her attention back to the last first-years to be sorted: 'Watson, Sarah' and 'Yarwood, Joe,' who both went to Gryffindor.

Dumbledore stood up to make a speech – Sirius felt his heart sink. 'To our new lot: welcome; to our lot: welcome back. There is a time and place for making grand speeches, and this isn't it. Dig in.'

'FINALLY!' Sirius roared when food suddenly appeared before them.

There were plates and plates of chicken wings, pork cutlets, mutton chops, fries, pizza, hot potatoes, and for desert, there were bowls of jelly in an assortment of flavours, mountains of ice cream and trifles.

Lily was helping herself to some vanilla ice cream, when the conversation turned to their holidays.

'Mine was boring, as usual,' said Aaliyah wearily. 'I don't think … Dad's just … well, he hates me for good,' Aaliyah sniffed, trying to stop moisture from rising to her eyes.

'Aww, Aaliyah, he _will_ come around,' said Lily encouragingly. 'He's your _dad_! I'm pretty sure that if you give him some more time … I mean … it was a big shock after all, but –'

'Lily, he blames me, me and only me,' said Aaliyah tearfully. 'I don't even know what I did … stupid werewolf …. And it's been years now, Lily. For how long will he act like _I_ did wrong?'

Lily had no answer. Truthfully, it _wasn't_ Aaliyah's fault ...

_It was a cold November's night. The sky remained disturbed with a full moon and dark clouds, creeping slowly ... and slowly ... and slowly. Trees danced madly with the raging wind, swish-swish, swish-swish. Some twigs knocked on the living room window of a happy family, carefree despite the weather. There was a woman with soft, brown, shoulder-length hair, standing near the fireplace which had several framed photos capturing golden moments in motion._

_Tugging at the mother's leg was a tiny baby, no taller than a foot. She looked extremely cute in pink clothing, which looked pretty with her vivid blonde hair. She squealed when her mother ignored her, talking to her son._

'_Where's Aaliyah? Is she still mad at me?' the mother asked with a huge smile._

'_Don't worry,' laughed the father. 'She'll come around. She's just a kid - I wouldn't expect anything more.'_

'_I know that ... but her and her little strops,' giggled Christina. 'She'll look back and laugh someday ... Maybe she deserves an ice cream or something ... I feel pretty bad about this.'_

_The ten-year-old son looked outraged. 'WHY? She did wrong, she sulks, she gets a treat?'_

'_Muuuuuuum! That's not fair!' whined the younger son. 'If Liyah gets ice cream, I do too!'_

_Christina merely ignored them, now picking up her baby girl and chattering with her husband._

'_Mum? Muuuum? Mum, Mummy, Momzie, Muuuum? Mum, Mum, Mama, Mama, Ma, Mummy, Mom, Momzie, Muuuuum?'_

'_WHAT?'_

'_Oh, forget it,' wept the younger son._

_The father sighed. 'I'll bring Aaliyah downstairs.'_

_Nodding at his family's foolishness, he went upstairs to sweet-talk his precious daughter out of sulking._

'_Aaliyah?' he said softly. 'Liyah, love, come down. You're a right little monkey, you know. You've got us all in a mess. Your mother feels terribly guilty. She promised not to shout next time you smash anything. Pinkie promised.'_

_The petite girl poked her nose out from the wrong end of the bed covers. 'Oh, yeah, right,' she sniffed, ducking back under the covers._

'_Liyah, this is silly,' said Aaliyah's father softly, sitting on Aaliyah's bed. 'You shouldn't be mad at people - you never know if you'll see them again.'_

_Aaliyah sniffed again. 'But Mummy's not ill, so nothing can happen to her.'_

'_You never know.'_

'_Really?' She poked her head from under her bed covers._

_Her father nodded gravely. 'Come on, hun, let's go downstairs and patch things up.'_

_Meanwhile, Aaliyah's brothers took over the job of entertaining their mother and sister. Despite not being of age, they were able to magic objects from thin air, which the baby enjoyed a lot. She shrieked with laughter, clapping her pudgy hands._

_A creak and swish sounded outside ..._

'_It's probably them trees again,' smiled Christina warmly._

_The creak sounded outside again ..._

'_It'll stop soon,' said Christina comfortingly. 'Tomorrow the wind will blow over and it'll all be sunshine and blue skies. You'll see.'_

_There was another sound, neither a swish nor a creak. A click sound. And then a sound of someone stumbling. And then a -_

_BOOM!_

'_AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!'_

_The door blew cleanly off its hinges, revealing a weird animal standing on two feet. This creature had grey fur and an extremely thin figure. He bore fangs for teeth, which had drool sliming slowly down them. His eyes were wide and clearly showed hunger. He stepped towards the mother and her three children; they stepped back._

'_Who - who - who are you?' Christina gasped, setting her daughter down on her knees and standing like a shield in front of her children._

_The creature howled. Not like a dog howl; a wolf howl._

'_MUUUUUUUUUUUM!' shouted the oldest son._

'_Run, kids, run!' Christina screamed. She then turned to the wolf. 'Please, please, please spare my kids!' As much as she tried, she knew it was useless talking to a werewolf - neither could he understand her, nor she him._

'_MUUUM! What now?'_

_They didn't need to think any more: the wolf leapt forwards and before they could scream any more -_

'_CHRISTINA!' Aaliyah's father shouted at the remains of his wife and three kids._

_He heard a SMASH! beside him and saw a naked animal leaping out of a newly broken window._

'_OI!' Aaliyah's father shouted through a broken voice. 'COME BACK 'ERE, YOU!'_

'_Daddy,' Aaliyah whispered, holding herself. 'What's happened here? And why were you shouting? Who was that thing? Where've Mum and everyone gone? Dad? Dad? Daddy, why is your face wet? Why's the window broken? Ooh it's getting cold. Mummy's going to be happy I'm not sulking any more. And everyone'll be upset, because they won't get any ice cream. Right? Daddy, what's the matter? Dad? Dad? Daddy?'_

'I know how you feel,' said James gravely, yet ... sympathetically. His voice brought Aaliyah back to the present. 'I mean, about the loss, not the ... yeah.'

Opposite him, Lily let out a snort which she didn't seem to bother passing as a cough, but this went ignored.

Remus shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, conspicuous in every way, trying to pour himself another glass of pumpkin juice. He earned himself a queer look from the girls, and a warning look from the guys.

'Which werewolf was it?' Remus asked lightly. 'As in …' he swallowed, 'which werewolf committed the heinous crime?'

Tears surfaced to Aaliyah's eyes. 'F-F-Fenr-rir G-reyb-back.' A single tear slowly dropped on her skirt, as Remus felt hatred course through him. Suddenly, the copper jug of pumpkin juice he was holding was crushed into a pulp with juice squirting in every direction.

Vanessa squealed and gasped. 'Uh! Ew! Euuuuuuuuuuuurgggggh!', she screamed, trying to push the juice away with her hands.

'Calm down, Gills,' said Sirius slowly. 'It's only a bit of juice. _Calm_.'

'I'll show you calm,' Vanessa burst angrily. She rose from her chair and began chasing Sirius rather childishly out of the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall where no one could see them.

Aaliyah began laughing, although two tears continued racing each other down her cheeks.

'Sorry for bringing this up,' said Remus sincerely, his voice deep and intense with guilt.

'It's okay,' Aaliyah choked slightly. 'It's more my fault for going on about Dad in the first place,' she continued, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

Despite smiling at the sweet scene, Lily had a burning question: 'What was it with you and the poor pumpkin juice?'

'It's just …' Remus began, frustrated, 'it's just … so _horrible_ to think _one_ werewolf could ruin _so_ many lives. It's despicable, it's … it's …'

'So bad you can't find words that'll do it justice,' Lily finished for him. 'But there's more to it than that, I know it.'

Remus looked his friend in her emerald eyes. 'What makes you think that?'

'Your personal response was, shall we say, er … I can just read minds, okay?'

James laughed slightly. 'More like faces.'

Lily bluntly ignored him, helping herself to some ice cream Remus offered her.

'D'you want some, Prongs?' Remus asked James.

'No, thanks,' he replied solemnly.

And then a few minutes later ...

'Moony, can I have some ice cream?'

'I asked you if you wanted some,' said Remus somewhat irritably. 'Share Lily's; I'm all out.'

'Oh, yeah but –' James began, giving Lily a swift, uncertain glance.

'Fine, no ice cream for you.'

James looked at her imploringly; looking at those puppy eyes sickened Lily.

She huffed moodily. 'Oh, _fine_. Here.' She pushed her bowl of ice cream further towards him, and he gratefully sank his spoon into it. 'Don't get used to it. I'm doing this for Remus.'

'Sure you are,' James winked.


	2. Acceptance and Denial

- Chapter Two -

~ Acceptance and Denial ~

'Accept it, Lily,' said Aaliyah monotonously in the girls' dormitory after the Welcome Feast. 'James Potter's Head Boy and there's nothing you can do about it.'

'But he is _so darn rude_,' Lily fumed. 'How can he be Head Boy? There just has to be a mistake! He's a Marauder for Merlin's sake!'

'Not all of the Marauders are bad,' said Aaliyah fairly, thinking to herself. 'Remus was a Prefect – he should've gotten the badge. And Peter's just a tagalong – he doesn't mean any harm.'

Lily suppressed a sigh, disliking the truthfulness in Aaliyah's statement. 'He does their bidding for them. He's almost just as worse. The number of times Potter used Pettigrew to ask me out … I lost count at, let's say, _a million. _But Potter … Head Boy …'

'You think you've got it bad?' said Vanessa flatly. 'You can't deny there's something strange, something different, about him this year. I've got Siri – I mean, I've got Black on my tail. He _won't _stop pestering me!'

Lily stopped raging and stared at her friend curiously.

Vanessa hurried on somewhat impatiently: 'Open your eyes, Lily. It's been ages since he's asked you out. What does that tell you about him?'

'He stole someone's brain over the summer …?' Lily smiled suddenly.

'_Will you go out with me?'_

_It was a beautiful summer's afternoon. Lily was by the lake, waiting for her friends, while blocking the bright setting sun out of her eyes, until James came along, casting his shadow upon her._

'_Have I seen you somewhere?' Lily asked James curiously, looking up at his tall figure. 'Oh, yeah, that's why I don't go there anymore.'_

_She stood up and began walking away, but James stepped in front of her and started walking backwards to keep up with her._

'_Lily, please, please, _please_ go out with me,' James begged._

'_Potter, please, please, _please_ stop asking me,' said Lily imploringly._

'_Why won't you give me a straight answer?' he said desperately._

_Lily rolled her eyes, sighing. 'And there was me thinking you had a brain.'_

'_I'll steal one from someone else if I have to! Come on, Lily. The most frequently asked question: will you go out with me?'_

'_The most frequently given answer: no way. Now go away, Potter. I'll use magic if I have to.' She tried and failed to sound threatening._

_But her threat made James grin broadly. 'Oh, yeah right. You can't do that – you're a prefect. You wouldn't.'_

'_Do you really wanna test that theory?' Lily asked him lightly. James nodded eagerly._ _Lily withdrew her 10 ¼ inch, swishy, willow-made wand and waved it once, chanting, 'Evanesco.'_

_To her amusement, James Potter vanished immediately, not leaving a trace of his presence besides Lily's grin._

'Are you even listening to what I'm saying?' said Vanessa disbelievingly.

'Yeah,' said Lily suddenly, sitting on her bed with her back straight. Vanessa gave her _that_ stare; that I've-been-your-friend-for-years-so-don't-lie-to-me stare. 'Okay, I zoned out for a few minutes.'

Vanessa sighed as Aaliyah giggled. The latter threw her pillow at Lily, who caught it and threw it back. It missed and hit Vanessa; she threw the pillow at Lily and she and Aaliyah ganged up on Lily.

'Hey, no fair!' Lily shrieked, although she was laughing.

She grabbed her pillow and tried walloping the other two.

'Shouldn't you be going to sleep?' Aaliyah asked Lily, backing away from the bed so she wouldn't get hit. 'You've got to get up bright and early to see Professor Dumbledore tomorrow, remember?'

Lily groaned, dropping her pillow. 'Yeah, but … yes, you're right.' She looked exhausted for a moment, before launching a pillow at Vanessa, still with the piece of information.

'Now _that's_ not fair,' Vanessa giggled. 'Oh, you'd better remind Potter about tomorrow. He's probably forgotten.'

'That's asking for a bit too much,' frowned Lily.

'Just go,' Aaliyah and Vanessa ordered, although they were smiling.

'Yeah, but –'

'GO!'

'Face it, Prongs,' said Remus sternly, his back to his friends; he was looking out at the millions of constellations scattered across the inky sky and the bright, silver half moon. 'You're not over her.'

'I _am_, Remus,' said James strongly – what did he have to do to prove it to them? Throw up in her face?

'You couldn't stop staring at her at the start-of-term banquet,' said Remus flatly.

Sirius barked with laughter. 'Moony, I don't know if you've noticed this, but today was the first day Prongs _and _Evans – in the flesh, not in his dreams – satnextto_ each other _without engaging in a shouting match. We all know Evans would win it, anyway. But of course he couldn't help but stare at her.'

'It doesn't help that she's very pretty,' squeaked Peter.

Sirius frowned at him. 'She's not around – you don't have to suck up to her now.'

Peter motioned Sirius to lean in before he whispered, 'She's magic.'

'Of course she is, Peter,' said James, 'she's a witch.'

'No,' said Peter. 'I mean she can hear our conversation from the girls' dormitories.'

Remus shook his head. 'Peter, _why_?'

'Do you know how many detentions she's ever given me?' gasped Peter, seemingly incredulous. His friends laughed to themselves, so Peter squeaked on, 'It's not funny! I spent fortnights at a time in detention! And all because -'

'– you were dumb enough to get used by James to ask Evans out,' Sirius finished for him. 'Wormtail, you're such a pushover.'

Peter didn't look very offended. 'Well, I can maintain relationships. I don't go through a girl a week.'

His supposedly offensive remark merely made Sirius howl with laughter. 'Wormtail, you don't go through a girl a _year_.'

Colour rose to Peter's cheeks as his retort was lost.

'Padfoot, lay off him,' said James kindly, springing off his bed to put an arm around Peter.

Sirius surveyed his best friend. 'You're only saying that because you want this conversation to steer away from you and Lily.'

The convincing look of shock and hurt on James's face was priceless. 'I can't believe you think that, Sirius!'

He simply stared, unimpressed, at his best friend. 'Prongs, I've known you for years – I _live_ with you – so don't even try lying to me.'

James meaningfully stared at Peter, who he still had his arm around. 'Wormtail, _say something_,' he whispered.

'Oh, er … lovely weather,' said Peter feebly.

Remus turned around and stared at James directly in his hazel eyes. 'You'd best get to sleep, James. Haven't you got a meeting with Lily and Dumbledore tomorrow? Before school hours?'

James groaned. 'Thanks for that reminder. She'll never get over me being Head Boy.'

Sirius grinned widely. 'Neither will I, actually. Moony, you're the goody-two-shoes. Why didn't you get the badge?'

'I'm not _that _good,' Remus retorted, half-frowning, half-smiling. 'And hanging out with your guys must have brought down my reputation.'

Sirius sighed gravely. 'Remus, you're such a goody-goody, you make us feel desperately ashamed of ourselves sometimes. And you say you hang out with us like it's a bad thing,' he added in a hurt tone.

This, apparently, was laughable; Peter and Remus burst out laughing, while James talked over them: 'Mate, you can only pull the puppy look when you're in dog form. When's the next time that's going to be, Moony?'

A sudden solemn look spread across Remus's face. 'Resuming to werewolf form in less than a week.'

'WOO!' Sirius shouted enthusiastically. 'I _LOVE_ those nights you're a werewolf! Sneaking out, having fun, breaking rules, fighting with a stag and wolf … and to think this is our last year here. I'm –' Sirius broke off when he and the others heard a loud _thud_ at the door, as though someone was daft enough to talk straight into it. But a knock sounded seconds later.

Remus abruptly strode across the dormitory to open the door and froze abruptly when he saw who it was.

_Don't lose your cool. Stay calm,_ James thought sternly to himself after peering over to see who was at the door. _She's probably come to see Remus. She's got nothing for you._

'Potter?'

'Here,' James croaked. He wasn't embarrassed over his croak – Lily sounded just as bad. Was she as nervous as him?

Remus moved aside to let Lily in.

_What could she want with me?_ he asked himself. _Oh, what did I do this time? If she's somehow found out about the bomb thing in her dormitory, I'm a dead duck. No, I'll kill Sirius for it. I wasn't apart of his plan. Oh …_

'I just wanted to remind you the moon – I mean, the meeting is in less than a week. Tomorrow! I meant tomorrow!' Lily's cheeks soon matched her hair, which was surprising as she'd entered the room looking pale.

James's heart both flipped and sank – it flipped because she wasn't there to tell him off; it sank because she'd blatantly overheard their conversation.

'How much did you hear?' asked Remus darkly. He shut the door behind him, frightening Lily.

'Hear what? I heard nothing!'

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Sirius laughed. 'You're _such_ a bad liar, Evans.'

'You don't know me, Black,' Lily snapped. She gave him the Lily Evans Glower, but all he did was laugh maddeningly.

'Okay, so you've found out about Moony – what's new? Me, Prongs and Wormtail are illegal Animagi – so? We break curfew every month, at least – and what?'

'You, detention, tomorrow, after school,' she said finally.

Sirius looked aghast. 'For what?' he spluttered.

'Openly declaring you broke school rules,' she said smugly, folding her arms across her chest.

'So do these guys!' Sirius exclaimed, aggravated.

'You didn't specify who "we" is,' Lily grinned.

'You're having a lot of fun, aren't you?' Sirius said coolly. 'Enjoy infuriating me while it lasts, Evans. I'll get one back on you.'

Lily ignored the second comment. 'This is a lot of fun. Remember, I'm not Prefect any more, I'm Head Girl. I can still put you in detention.'

''Cause detentions _really _have an impact on me,' he said sarcastically.

'Maybe a week's detention will … with Filch. Becoming Animagi illegally is worth a sentence in Azkaban, the wizard prison, as well.'

Sirius looked horrified. 'You wouldn't!'

'Mate, here's a piece of advice: shut up,' James intervened, clapping his friend on the back.

Sirius mimed zipping his lips which pleased Lily; she smiled sweetly and turned back to James. 'Remember, tomorrow, Dumbledore's office.' She made to leave the room, but Remus stopped her.

'You're not … scared of me?' he asked. He was so disbelieving that he sounded weak. 'I'm not going to be in your nightmares tonight?'

Lily smiled warmly. 'Remus, I've known you for _years_. You're the kindest, most sensitive boy I've ever met. So what if you're a werewolf? And besides, I should've read the signs. I did wonder, but it sounded absurd at the time.'

'I was _that _obvious?'

'No, the excuses of your absence were just lame,' she said casually. 'You went on a three-day visit to your "extremely sick mother" last year when she was holidaying in Hawaii. Oh, and that whole thing at dinner … with Aaliyah and Greyback …' Lily could tell she'd just embarrassed Remus, so she bade him goodnight and left at her equivalent of light speed.

She almost literally ran out of their dormitory and to her own. When she got there, she leaned against the post of her bed and exhaled deeply, her head pounding with new information. _Remus? A werewolf? _She suspected this, but to have it confirmed …

'Got into another shouting match with Potter?' Alice asked, unsurprised and somewhat resigned. 'Why did you even go there?'

'I didn't get into another shouting match with Potter, actually,' Lily grinned, staring around the room. Her eyes flew from a large, round ball floating near the ceiling to her mini mahogany bedside table. 'Just a little tiff with Black. And I didn't want Potter to forget about the meeting with Dumbledore. Although, now that I think about it, it'd mean I wouldn't have to tolerate him tomorrow …'

Vanessa giggled. 'You'd chase him down for not attending the meeting, though. You never miss a chance to give him a detention.'

'Whatever,' said Cassie, half-laughing. '_Lily_? Chasing _Potter_? Only to murder him or something.'

'Hey, I've had those fantasies,' Lily joked. 'Right, night, girls!'

She jumped into her pyjamas and drew the curtains of her four poster bed, still listening to her friends quietly chattering amongst themselves. Even though she fell sound asleep listening to them, they didn't star in her dreams. Neither did Remus in what Lily thought he looked like as a werewolf. Sirius and his rude taunts didn't either. No.

That night, Thursday 1st September 1977, was the first night Lily Evans dreamed about James Potter.

*.*.*

A sudden _BOOM! _and a shake woke Lily up. Several screams and squeals sounded around her.

Aaliyah leapt out of bed immediately and screamed a shrill scream again. 'EWWWWWWWW! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN'S BEARD IS THIS?'

Vanessa tore apart her curtains and found Aaliyah had trodden in ankle-length, viscous, snow-white powder. She attempted to wade through it, but Vanessa had to try catching Aaliyah as she fell face first and dragged her would've-been saviour down with her.

By this time, Alice, Cassie and Lily had perched carefully on their beds and watched the amusing scene, Alice and Cassie unable to sit still from laughing too much; Alice was even clutching her sides.

Lily had merely cracked a wide grin, but then saw her best friends were close to crying out of fury. Lily grabbed her wand from her bedside table and muttered the all-too familiar spell: '_Evanesco_,' remembering a certain someone.

The gunk was gone in a millisecond. Well, besides all that was over Aaliyah and Vanessa.

'Whose clever idea was this?' Vanessa groaned, spitting out a whole load on the floor, which her friend cleared up again.

'Sirius Black,' said Lily immediately. 'I bet anything. He said he'd get me back last night. Said he's got something …'

'Why?' asked Vanessa immediately. 'What did you do?'

'Gave him a week's worth of detentions.' When Aaliyah gasped, awestruck, Lily grinned, unembarrassed. 'He had it coming, trying to provoke me …'

After realising that no damage was done and it was time for Lily to awake, anyway, Aaliyah, Lily and Vanessa headed for breakfast; Alice and Cassie still had sleep to catch up on.

The three trudged down many flights, still cursing Sirius and his silly pranks. Vanessa seemed to take his "attack" personally.

'You over think things too much,' Aaliyah commented lightly. 'You know how much the Marauders love their victims.'

Vanessa rounded on her, looking defeated. 'Yeah, but _I _was the one who chased Sirius across the _world_ yesterday.'

'Look,' Lily intervened when Aaliyah opened her mouth. 'Let bygones be bygones,' she said serenely. 'No one got hurt – it was a few minutes of agony. We'll get them back,' she assured Vanessa, looking at her displeased face. 'They can't get away with this.'

'Where did they new attitude come from?' Vanessa frowned.

'What are you talking about?' Lily smiled, leading them into the Great Hall.

'Well … anything that Potter was involved in would anger you,' Vanessa continued, still frowning. The crease lines on her forehead didn't suit her. 'Last year, anything that the Marauders did, you blamed Siri – I mean, you blamed Black and Potter. Now … it's just different.'

'You're mad,' laughed Lily. Her laugh sounded like a chorus of bells.

Aaliyah and Vanessa stared at their friend, who was now sitting at the Gryffindor table. Pure amazement was etched on their faces. Since when did _Lily Evans_ miss a chance to put _James Potter _in detention? Unless …

'YOU'RE NOT THE REAL LILY EVANS!' Aaliyah shouted loudly, still standing.

Lily laughed. 'What? I'll repeat: you're mad. Of course I'm "the real Lily Evans". There's no other.'

'Polyjuice potion,' whispered Vanessa, staring shrewdly at the supposed impostor.

'I _am_ Lily Evans!' Lily exclaimed.

'Prove it,' Vanessa continued in a whisper. 'Prove you're the real Lily Evans, and not some … Lily-hating Slytherin.'

'Thanks, Nessa,' said Lily flatly. 'Okay, my name is Lily Evans and my date of birth is the 30th January 1960. I have one set of parents and an annoying sister, whom I dearly love, called Petunia.'

Vanessa snorted. 'Oh, please, anyone could tell us that.'

'Okay, ask and I'll answer.'

'Where was the first place you met James Potter?' asked Aaliyah, slowly taking a seat and acting like a detective.

'On the train.'

'And the train is called …?'

'Shut up, Aaliyah,' said Vanessa irritably. 'Let me do the talking. Right, Faker, _who_ was your first magical friend?'

'Severus Snape.' Lily said his name bitterly, spitting a little.

'Okay … why do you hate James Potter?'

'On the very first train ride here, he got on my bad side … bullying Snape, irritating me. In our first year alone, his appalling behaviour got worse! He would bully anyone just because he knows he can! He was always so arrogant, bigheaded, stuck-up … grr! And what's more –'

'Amazing,' said a soft voice behind her. 'After all of these years, you still remember what I was like when we were first-years.'

Lily turned around in her seat, her pretty face tinged with pink. 'Well, yeah … I guess I do …' she said softly, before pulling herself together. 'But an arrogant first-year isn't hard to forget,' she said in a hard voice.

'If that was true,' James said, softer still, 'then we'd remember every first-year who's been through this school.'

Lily had no retort. She merely looked up at James, his dark hair, his hazel eyes, his charming smile … 'Whatever, Potter,' she said, turning back to her breakfast.

'Yep,' said Aaliyah and Vanessa in unison, 'it's Lily.'

'Huh?' Remus said wearily.

'We didn't know if Lily was Lily or a fake,' said Aaliyah quickly, before Vanessa could open her mouth.

'How can't you tell?' said James quietly, meaning for only Remus to hear. 'There's only one Lily.'

Knowing she wasn't supposed to hear that, Lily ignored him, blood pounding inside her head. Not in the angry way, but in the shocked sense. Besides, he didn't say anything rude. Or was Lily beginning to be a bit more lenient with him?

'Are you going to have breakfast or what?' said Lily coldly, not looking at Aaliyah and Vanessa when they sat down.

'You're inviting me to breakfast?' James said in a deep voice, with a hint of hopefulness.

'No, I was just asking, because we'd better get a move on soon,' she replied in that same cold tone.

'Oh, right,' said James lamely. He subconsciously ran his hand through his hair before saying, 'I'll skip breakfast. We should be getting upstairs to Dumbledore's office soon.'

The awkwardness of the short journey to the Headmaster's office was too much. It killed Lily. In silence, the two trudged up countless staircases, trying to keep the distance between them. Finally, they reached the gargoyle.

'Oh, no!' Lily gasped. 'I don't remember the password! How could I forget? What'll we do now? Wait, what was it …? Fizzing Whizbees?'

James rolled his eyes indiscreetly. He held up his hands and clearly said, 'Fudge Flies.'

_Of course he knows what the password is_, Lily thought uncharacteristically bitterly, feeling embarrassed. _He's way too good and clever and different to forget._

'After you,' James said courteously.

Lily stepped ahead with her nose in the air, James not far behind her. When she reached the door, she knocked smartly three times, as though determined to make amends for forgetting the password.

'Enter,' came a soft voice.

Lily opened the door and found her Headmaster sitting behind his desk, as usual. He had the same wispy, silver hair, and his twinkling eyes sat behind half-moon spectacles. What was it about Professor Dumbledore that made him so trusting and warm? Whatever it was, it was admired by everyone; teachers, students and non-Hogwartians alike.

'Ah, Miss Evans, Mr Potter!' cried Dumbledore, as though their visits were a surprise. Lily stared at her feet; she wasn't used to face-to-face meetings with the Headmaster. James, however, stared directly into Dumbledore's eyes. Lily couldn't help but admire him for it. 'Please, do take a seat. I won't hold you here for long. Now, we must discuss about the, er, awkward friendship between the two of you and how this'll affect the school.'

'"Friendship"?' Lily repeated sceptically, with her eyebrows raised. 'I didn't know it could be called even that.

'We are all friends in one way or another,' said Dumbledore gently. 'If James, bless him, were to get injured, would you not be concerned about him?'

'Well … I'd miss having someone to dislike,' Lily admitted, embarrassed. 'But that's about it.'

'It counts for something,' shrugged Dumbledore. 'See, in having little fights with him, you've developed an incomprehensible and complex relationship.'

_But I hate him_, Lily thought.

'You do not hate Mr Potter, Miss Evans,' said Dumbledore quietly, as though he could read her mind … or could he? 'You feel somewhat indifferent towards him and that's it.'

'Thanks, guys,' said James awkwardly.

'Indifference is better then hatred,' Dumbledore claimed, standing up.

'I'd rather be hated and cared about then – then –'

'It takes a lot to make one who hates you, love you,' Dumbledore said clearly over James's voice, not peering out of the window. The sun was finally free from morning clouds, and the view was beautiful. The sky was now azure, holding no tinge of pink. 'But to make someone care about you is easier.'

'So, you think that _Potter_ and I can become friends?' Lily clarified dubiously.

'I do indeed, for love conquers all.'

'_Love_?' Lily and James repeated in a splutter, aghast. They turned to stare at each other with that same expression; Dumbledore chuckled after glancing at them.

'Being _friends_ with Potter is one thing, but being in _love_ with Potter is another,' said Lily hardly, turning back to look at Dumbledore.

'Yeah, _why_ would I wanna be her boyfriend, let alone _friend_? There are so many other witches in this great castle,' said James, looking straight at his Headmaster in the eye.

'When did I say a relationship as in a couple?' Dumbledore questioned, a smile unfurling.

'Erm … well, er … we just can't _ever _be friends,' Lily said firmly. 'Sorry to get your hopes high, Professor.'

'Oh, but it'll happen. Just you wait and watch,' he said enigmatically. 'For the sake of the school, can the two of you become friends?'

'Acquaintances, yes,' said Lily solidly. 'Friends, no. A couple, never.'

'I have faith in the two of you,' said Dumbledore, soft again.

'You have faith in a lot of people,' said James flatly, crossing his arms.

'And they never let me down,' smiled Dumbledore. 'You'll see. You two will be friends by the end of this year.'

'Maybe when Flobberworms fly,' Lily said stubbornly.

And with that they were dismissed, Lily and James somewhat worried; what if they turned out to be friends?

'You know,' said James quietly after closing the door after him, 'it would've been funnier if you'd said "when merpeople" or "when Hinkypunks fly" instead. They can't ever fly given that they live in water.'

Lily turned around and gave him the Lily Evans Glower. 'I might be Muggle-born, but I've caught up on that stuff, maybe more then you. Plus, what does it matter what I said?'

'I was just saying it'd have been funnier,' argued James in a whisper, descending the stairs after Lily.

'I really _don't_ care,' she whispered back furiously. 'I said the first thing that came to my head, okay?'

'Well, that explains it,' said James quietly and sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

'Oh? And what is _that _supposed to mean?'

'Here we go again,' he said in that same tone.

'Hey, you started it! If you didn't –'

James turned off, merely nodding and agreeing with her whenever she stopped her ranting. Anyone could see they just can't be friends. Well, maybe they'll be friends "when Flobberworms fly".

* * *

Friday 2nd September 1977


	3. Broken Reflection

- Chapter Three -

~ Broken Reflection ~

'Were you even _listening _to what I was saying?'

Lily's voice interrupted James's daydream of … well, something he didn't want Lily to know. He stared back at her. They were now waiting outside Professor McGonagall's office, so they could get their new timetables. It was just the two of them outside in the corridor, bickering away.

'Yes,' he said in an unconvincing lie.

'Oh, yeah, and my name is Merlin,' said Lily sarcastically. Now she knew how angry Vanessa felt when she, Lily, hadn't been listening to her. 'You know, everyone's saying you've changed. You're different, you're more mature, you're blah, blah, blah. To be honest, I don't see it. In fact, I –'

'Everyone's been saying that?' James interrupted, distracted. 'You've been talking about me, and it wasn't a whole load of rubbish?'

'Well, yeah, it was,' said Lily, 'given that it wasn't true. You haven't changed, and you never will.'

'Why do you think so strongly about that?' James asked with a cracked voice, pain plain in his tone.

'Because, James Potter,' Lily began, 'to start a _huge_ change, something _big_ has to happen, something that'll never make you the same again.'

'Miss Evans?' called Professor McGonagall as another seventh-year left her office.

'Coming, Professor,' Lily called back. She then turned to James again. 'And nothing like that will _ever _happen to you, because your life is so _perfect_, as you used to boast.'

'How do you know?' James whispered in a hurt voice. 'You don't know me. You never have. You know, just because I look alright, doesn't mean I am. That just means I know how to put on a smile and pretend.'

'What are you -?'

'Miss Evans!'

'Coming, Professor!'

Lily rushed into McGonagall's office without glancing back at James. _What in the name of Merlin's beard was he on about?_ she asked herself. _Some new way of seeking attention_.

'Now, Miss Evans,' McGonagall sighed, 'I understand that you want to continue all of last year's subjects?'

'Yes, Professor.'

'Are you _sure_ about that?' said the Professor seriously, peering over her spectacles.

'Positive,' Lily confirmed.

'You don't feel overworked?'

'I feel fine,' said Lily firmly.

Professor McGonagall surveyed her Head Girl. 'Other students take three or four of give subjects for N.E.W.T.s, which is more then enough to cope with. But taking _six_ –?'

'I'm able to keep up with all of the work set, Professor,' Lily sniffed. 'And I don't want to be like "other students". I strive to be different.'

'Very well then,' said McGonagall gravely. 'Here is your new timetable. Should you ever struggle, feel free to contact me. Understood?'

Lily nodded her head before being dismissed. She knew James was still out there, so, keeping her head down low, she walked past him as Professor McGonagall summoned him to her office.

To stop herself dwelling on him, she inhaled and exhaled deeply, before hurriedly making her way to Defence Against the Dark Arts – her first lesson. It was taught by a new teacher, Professor Darktoff. Their previous Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had vanished without a trace at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, James took a seat in the Deputy Head's office.

'Now, Mr Potter …' she said, skimming through her parchments, 'am I correct in believing you haven't taken or dropped any new subjects?'

'Yes,' said James solemnly.

'Nice and simple, then,' said McGonagall happily, although there was no smile on her face. 'Here is your timetable.'

She handed the parchment to him, and he made to leave without another word, although millions were pounding inside his head, but Professor McGonagall stopped him.

'Mr Potter … if you fall behind on class work,' she said uncomfortably, her voice breaking, 'you will be excused. The staff have been informed about … the event over the summer, and … and … well, if ever you need someone to talk to, we are all here.'

'Right,' he said quietly, trying to sound disinterested, 'well, I'm fine, thanks, Professor. But I appreciate the concern.'

_But what is all this concern if it's not from that _one_ person?_ James thought as he exited the room. _Metaphorically thinking, I could have loads of people worrying about me, but it means nothing without that _one_ person I _want_ worrying about me. _He didn't know why he was thinking so much; he and Lily got into fights a dozen times a day … so why did this one get to him? Because she didn't know. She hadn't heard about that "event over the summer". Rather unlike everyone else, he assumed bitterly. Famous James Potter, well known for being able to lift a broom over fifty feet from the ground, can't have a single secret.

*.*.*

With all of her thoughts swirling in her head and pounding against her skull, she was late for her first lesson – Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Darktoff.

'For your unfashionable lateness,' he began in a posh accent, 'you're awarded detention immediately after your last lesson.'

'But we get Friday afternoons off!' said Lily, horrified.

'Are you arguing back?' Professor Darktoff snapped.

'No, but – yeah, because – oh, fine.'

With a lot of effort, she managed not to stomp to her seat next to Aaliyah, who was sitting with Vanessa. The latter stared, surprised, at Lily. Sniggers from the table behind them didn't help her mood. Lily didn't need to turn around to wonder who they were from.

'Pettigrew, will you stop doing whatever Black does?' she whispered angrily behind her when James entered as a distraction.

Peter's sniggers subsided immediately, and he stared down at his wooden desk.

'How come she can get you to shut up and I can't?' Sirius questioned hotly to Peter, though in a whisper; James was being awarded a detention, too.

'She can give detentions,' whispered Peter fearfully.

'And I can exclude you from our group.'

'You wouldn't!' Peter was no longer whispering, but he wasn't loud enough for Darktoff to here.

'Oh, yes, I would,' said Sirius maliciously. 'Watch me. You can no longer hang around with us.'

'Black, stop bullying Peter!' Lily furiously whispered, turning around to look at them. 'You've already got detention for a week with Filch – do you want me to add to that?'

Sirius stared at Lily loathingly with narrowed eyes, but he said nothing.

'Clever boy,' said Lily sweetly. 'You're starting to learn now, aren't you?'

'You still need to learn,' said Sirius, 'the difference between when I'm _joking _to when I'm serious.'

Vanessa burst out laughing. 'You're always Sirius.'

Everyone who could hear her stared at her. 'No, Vanessa,' said Aaliyah softly, shaking her head. 'That just didn't work. Be quite. Just don't say anything. Sh.'

'And there _is_ no difference, Black,' hissed Lily, 'because you're never s – erm, you're … well, you're never not joking,' she edited, avoiding the 'serious' pun.

'You can't know that, Evans,' said James hardly, taking his seat between Sirius and Remus. 'Unless you know us, who are you to judge?'

'I'm not _judging_ you,' defended Lily, 'I'm just saying – it's fact and everyone knows that.'

'You might be "everyone" in your world,' said James acidly, 'but to some of us, you mean nothing more then dust settling on desks.'

'I'm aware of that,' Lily spluttered, 'but I meant that _everyone_, as in everyone in Hogwarts, knows that you're a pair of jokers who can't take anything seriously and won't ever change.'

'I thought you said "everyone" has said I've changed,' frowned James.

'Delusional, they are,' Lily retorted, turning back around with her nose in the air.

'Okay, then,' said Darktoff, staring directly at Lily. 'It you two are going to waste my time chit-chatting, I think I'll waste more of your time … _in detention_. Both of you, tomorrow, my office at 11 in the morning, sharp. _No _arguing.'

'I never argue back, anyway,' said Lily grumpily.

The irony made some laugh, breaking the tension, so the boring, read-out-of-a-textbook lesson continued.

Lily didn't like the new teacher. He was unbelievably nasty. The lesson couldn't have dragged on any slower. Sirius and Peter grew extremely bored and began throwing scrunched up bits of parchment to Aaliyah and Lily.

'Why don't you throw some at Nessa for a change?' Aaliyah burst irritably, turning around to look at them.

'Thanks, Liyah,' said Vanessa sourly.

'Twenty points from Gryffindor,' said Darktoff loudly. 'What is _wrong_ with you all? Restlessness isn't the key to learning!'

'And neither is annoyingness,' said Vanessa under her breath.

'Professor, they kept throwing parchment at us!' Aaliyah shrieked with annoyance.

'Is that so? Very well, another twenty points from Gryffindor.'

'_What_?' Aaliyah spluttered. 'But – that's not fair – what – we didn't _do_ anything!'

'Good one,' muttered Sirius venomously.

Lily turned and glared at him after Darktoff sloped away. 'It's hardly Aaliyah's fault Darktoff's in a bad mood today –'

'No,' Sirius agreed, 'it's yours for coming in late.'

'Oh, and Potter wasn't late at all,' scoffed Lily. 'And besides, it's _your _fault for irritating us in the first place.'

It was Sirius's turn to scoff. 'Oh, and it wasn't Peter's fault at all.'

'He does whatever you tell him to!' Lily exclaimed. 'And –'

'Lily, can you _please_ stop arguing with him,' Vanessa groaned, both hands on her head. 'Since I've known you and the Marauders, all you've ever done is argue. I've put up with it for years, but I can't any more.'

Aaliyah stared at her friend, a look of extreme shock on her pretty face. 'Why not say something to Black?'

'There's no point talking to a dog who never listens,' said Vanessa wearily, her face in her hands.

The Marauders froze abruptly, before turning to look at Lily in unison. The bell suddenly rang, indicating that they should head off to their next lesson.

'Wait, wait, wait!' Darktoff called. 'Homework will be to read Chapter Two of the book and summarise it for me! The summary must be half a foot of parchment, _minimum_.'

The girls made their way out of the room (Aaliyah was off to Arithmancy; Lily and Vanessa were going to Potions) but the Marauders blocked the exit, so it was just them seven stuck inside the room. Where had Darktoff gone?

'What, Black?' said Lily coldly.

'Sirius, mate, let 'em go,' said James tiredly, giving his best friend a little shove.

Sirius didn't appear to have heard. His stare into Lily's emerald eyes was almost like a glare … what had she done now?

'What, Black?' she repeated.

'How much of yesterday did you relay to them?' he asked quietly.

Lily looked shocked. 'None of it!' she exclaimed.

'Then how does Vanessa know I'm an Animagi? A dog?'

Vanessa stepped forward, looking nonplussed. 'Wait, what? You're an Animagi … and you didn't tell me?' she asked softly, yet clearly.

'You already knew,' said Sirius darkly. '_She_ told you, going back against her word,' he continued, gesturing to Lily.

Vanessa still seemed flummoxed. 'Lily didn't say anything … she stayed true. You didn't. You never told me you were an Animagi.'

'Black, if betraying the Marauders means betraying Remus, too, I'll pass,' Lily stated easily.

Remus smiled at her, although he looked tired and worn out, and Lily beamed in return, looking much like her old self then she had been lately.

Aaliyah wasn't really following the conversation, typically. 'Wait … what was that? Nessa, why would _Sirius Black _tell you his secret?'

'Because _we_ _were_ _dating_!' Vanessa's voice rang clear and sharp in the otherwise empty classroom.

This new piece of information shocked Aaliyah, James, Lily, Peter and Remus. They looked at each other, and then their friends, flabbergasted. It was, after all, unbelievable. Sirius and Vanessa had always had something against each other; they were always ripping each other off at almost every chance they got; they were almost as bad as Lily and James. How did this happen?

Aaliyah was about to voice the question, but Vanessa hurried on: 'I can't believe you didn't tell me! We've been together for over two months now! You promised no more secrets and lies! Promised!'

'Here me out –!'

'I am _so_ through with you,' said Vanessa strongly. 'I've heard and had _enough_. I've dealt with secretive boys before; I'm not going there again.'

'No, listen!'

Aaliyah took hold of Vanessa's hand and dragged her out of the room before any more could be said. Remus and Peter followed, looking somewhat scared of being in the same room as Sirius now.

'Black … sorry,' said Lily, slightly weakly.

'Why are you sorry?' he asked in a deep voice, not looking up.

'It's my fault,' said Lily guiltily. 'If I hadn't even listened in on your conversation yesterday, I wouldn't have found out …'

Sirius shook his head. 'I basically asked for it. Sorry. I thought you'd told.'

'Never,' Lily smiled. 'I'd have taken that secret to the grave if it hadn't been exposed.'

'Sorry,' Sirius repeated.

Lily shook her head slightly, telling him how his break-up wasn't his fault, but inside, she was thinking: _what? _Me _and a _Marauder _having an almost-normal conversation? What has the world come to? Next thing you know, Aaliyah and Peter Pettigrew will be head over heels for each other._

'Oh, snap!' Lily said suddenly. 'Potions! I was wondering why the corridor was so empty.'

'Chill, Lily,' said Sirius easily, that usual grin occupying his face again. 'You're Slughorn's pet – he wouldn't ever scold you or anything.'

'I'm Head Girl,' she reminded him. 'I'm supposed to be setting an example.'

'Prongs is Head Boy,' he reminded her, much to her disliking, 'and he's late with us.'

Lily had almost forgotten James was there, as he was so quiet and lost in thought, but that didn't stop her wishing he wasn't Head Boy.

'Boys will be boys,' Lily muttered under her breath.

As Sirius had predicted, Slughorn wasn't cross at all. This made Lily think Darktoff hated her, because she was only five minutes late from his lesson and she was awarded detention, whereas she was fifteen minutes late for Slughorn and she was excused.

'Hm,' she said grumpily.

Sirius and James looked at her, but she shook her head. Her lips traced the words, 'Vanessa …' but she supposed Vanessa wouldn't want to stick around after what had happened.

'We have a seating plan,' Slughorn informed them. 'Mr Potter will be sat next to Miss Evans, which means Mr Black with Miss … where is Miss Gills?'

'She, er, felt ill, Professor,' Lily lied unconvincingly, but Slughorn didn't question her.

'Very well,' he said. 'If you three will take your seats –'

'Wait, Professor,' said Sirius quickly, 'can't I sit _anywhere _else? Swap seats with Lily? Sit on the desk nearest to you? Anywhere?'

Slughorn surveyed Sirius sceptically. 'What new trick is this, Mr Black?'

'No joke,' Sirius said abruptly. 'I'd rather sit with James then Va – Gills.'

'Well, it's a boy-girl seating plan,' Slughorn said in a business-like fashion.

'Can't you see I _am _a girl?'

'Black, no.'

'I'll dress up as a girl every Potions lesson this year,' said Sirius desperately, almost _begging_. 'Please, please, please, please, _please_, Professor.'

Slughorn thought for a moment, stared at Sirius whom he was eye-level with and then said, 'No.'

'Can't I sit next to Lily instead?'

'Dude, no,' James said disbelievingly. 'I don't wanna sit next to –'

'Finish that sentence,' Lily said threateningly, glaring at James.

Slughorn gave a loud impatient 'tut' before saying in a final tone, 'No, Black.'

Knowing that the argument was lost, Sirius bitterly sat alone at his desk. It wasn't too bad now; James's table was right next to his. But when Gills would come back, Potions would be as bad as Defence Against the Dark Arts.

It was awkward for Lily and James though. They sat inches apart from each other, one not even casting a shadow upon the other. They said nothing and did nothing, both too distracted to take notes.

*.*.*

Aaliyah breathed in. And breathed out again. And back in. And out. She couldn't believe that she, Aaliyah Christina White, was sitting next to Remus John Lupin during Arithmancy, due to the fact that she was half an hour late for class; Vanessa needed quite a bit of consoling. Remus was, after all, the coolest most sensitive boy in the whole of Hogwarts – neither James nor Sirius qualified as 'sensitive'.

'Are you all right?' Remus asked Aaliyah, concerned. He was in the middle of writing a long and complex equation, but stopped to talk to her.

'Yes,' Aaliyah replied, in a voice too high-pitched to belong to her.

Remus continued to look concerned. 'Do you want me to get you some water or something? Pumpkin juice, maybe?'

_Do you want me to get you_, not _do you want some_. There was a big difference to Aaliyah.

'No!' she said a bit too loudly. 'Sorry, Professor Vector. No, Remus, it's okay,' she continued in a hushed voice.

'Oh, well then … if you're sure.' The fact that he said this uncomfortably made Aaliyah's heart melt. He seemed truly concerned, although they hardly knew each other and their friends were each other's enemies. 'Can I help you at all …?'

Aaliyah looked down at the work she hasn't started, having had Remus Lupin as a distraction. 'Yeah, I don't really get this stuff …'

'That's strange,' Remus frowned, 'you were ace at this stuff last year. We're only recapping last year a little bit today.'

Aaliyah looked back down at the parchment bearing questions. He was right. She knew it and remembered it well. 'I'm not sure I've got it right, see,' she said pitifully.

'Right, well …' Remus went into a long explanation about the numbers while Aaliyah took the chance to stare at him. His eyes were a pool of chocolate Aaliyah felt she could dip into, and his hair matched, although there were a few noticeable grey hairs. But his smile was warm, as though heat radiated from it. Well, she would feel the warmth. 'Do you get it now?' he asked, interrupting her reverie.

'Yeah!' she gasped. 'I remember it now! Thanks, Remus,' she said sincerely.

'No problem,' he replied, embarrassed. 'So … we've both done the work. Now what?'

'We talk,' Aaliyah smiled. 'So are you into Quidditch?'

'Not really,' said Remus with a small laugh. 'I mean, James is enough. Him and his Quidditch. I like watching him play, but any other match is just boring. What about you?'

'No, I don't either,' said Aaliyah cheerfully – they shared a dislike for Quidditch. 'I like watching Vanessa play, too, but to go to a _real _match –' Aaliyah broke off, shuddering. Remus had to work to bit back a smile. 'What kind of music are you into?'

'I love the Weird Sisters and Twinkle,' said Remus enthusiastically.

'No way!' gasped Aaliyah. 'Me too!' she said truthfully. 'What's your favourite song?'

They found common ground; things they were both interested and uninterested in. Despite loathing Arithmancy classes before, Aaliyah couldn't help but feel they were going to get better … just a _tiny _bit.

Completely forgetting their friends didn't like each other, the two left Arithmancy together when the bell rang for break, absorbed in conversation about their favourites.

*.*.*

'Potter …' Lily began uncomfortably in a hushed tone, although there was a lot of bustle after Slughorn gave instructions of what they were to produce that lesson, 'what were you trying to say before?' She sounded stupid to herself, but she persisted.

'What d'you mean, Evans?' said James tiredly.

'As in … all that stuff … about me not knowing –'

'You're still thinking about that?' James said, trying to conceal a grin.

_Well, obviously,_ Lily thought.

'I was kidding,' James told her. 'I was just wondering if that'd make you think twice about judging people –'

'I _wasn't_ judging anyone,' said Lily vehemently. 'I just thought _you _and Black were really superficial.'

'Whatever,' James grinned. 'Let's get this work done …'

'You were listening to Slughorn?' Lily asked flatly, astounded.

'Of course, I'm Head Boy – I've got to set a good example.' His tone wasn't humorous, as usual. Lily didn't like this tone. It was solemn and un-James-like. It was plain to even Lily: James Potter had truly changed.

'And so have _you_, Lily,' said Vanessa hotly.

It was break time now, and Lily had sped off to Gryffindor common room to find Vanessa and see how she was.

Lily backtracked a moment, sitting in the armchair opposite Vanessa. 'What? How have _I _changed?'

'You're just … not the same,' said Vanessa vaguely, wishing she hadn't spoken.

'I figured that much out for myself, funnily enough,' Lily joked, even making Vanessa smile. 'How've I changed?'

Vanessa looked at her friend painfully, almost pitifully. 'You're less … you're more … no, you're less … well, you're not your joking self, any more. You're just so much more serious.'

It took time for Lily to digest what had been said. 'Well, we've got our N.E.W.T.s this year.'

'No, that's not what I mean,' Vanessa responded, shaking her head. 'You just take things way more seriously …'

'If you're referring to the fact that you didn't tell me you were dating S –'

'NO!' Vanessa cut Lily off loudly, making the latter jump. 'Sorry, but … before, you were like the spirit of us Gryffindors, the one who would earn us the most points, the encouraging one, the one who'd always joke about and making everyone laugh without _being_ the joke. Although the Slytherins would hate on you more than anyone, you never looked like you cared. You were even "vivacious", as Slughorn used to always say. You've just … lost your charm. Kinda like Potter's lost his immaturity. Are you two working as a parallel on purpose?' Vanessa added, trying to lighten the mood.

'Lost my charm?' Lily repeated. The words didn't make much sense to her. She was the same old Lily.

The bell rang, telling the students to make their way to their next lesson, or the common room if they had a free period.

'Wait, Lily, before you go,' said Vanessa softly, 'there's something I need to tell you, something I need to ask you to do. Please, for my sake, don't talk to Sirius Black.'

Lily stared at her friend understandingly. She didn't question, she didn't argue. She merely nodded and rushed to the portrait of the Fat Lady. As she left, James and Sirius entered. It was an awkward moment when they stared at each other directly in the eyes and Lily just trudged off to Care of Magical Creatures, grateful to be alone, for once.

Along the seventh-floor corridor, she caught sight of her reflection in a cracked, cob-webbed mirror and, for once, stopped to stare, forgetting about her next lesson with Professor Kettleburn. Her physical appearance looked the same; she had the same dark red hair which lay on her shoulders, the same emerald eyes, although they were dim with confusion. But she didn't have that glow, that aura, that charm. Vanessa was right. Lily was losing it.

* * *

Friday 2nd September 1977


	4. Avoiding Fate

- Chapter Four -

~ Avoiding Fate ~

'So … here we are,' said Aaliyah lamely, 'together again … in another lesson …'

'True,' smiled Remus, looking up from his neat notes to Aaliyah's radiant smile.

Aaliyah looked down at his notes, feeling bad that she had disturbed him from quickly revising for their assessment. 'Sorry, you want to get back to that, don't you?'

'No, it's okay,' said Remus. He restored his composure as quickly as he'd spoken, and resumed staring blankly at his notes.

Aaliyah tried stifling a tiny laugh unsuccessfully.

'What's so funny, Miss, er, Black?' said Professor Binns, floating to Remus and Aaliyah's desk. 'You're supposed to be flicking through your notes. Where are yours, hm?'

'Erm, well, er, see, Professor –' Aaliyah stammered.

'– I've got her notes,' said Remus easily. 'I left mine up in the dormitories.'

'Well, Mr Lumpkin, that'll be a detention for you after dinner,' he drawled on.

'Yeah, but –' Aaliyah said hurriedly, but Remus stepped on her toes under the table with more force the necessary. 'Ow! What in the name of Merlin's beard is that for?'

Binns sighed impatiently and tiredly before floating through his desk and turning around to skim the class.

'I was backing you up,' Remus said pointlessly. 'You would've completely foiled it.'

'I was gonna ask him if he _knows_ when dinner is,' Aaliyah hissed back. 'I mean, being a ghost, how can he keep up with these things?'

Remus thought for a moment. 'Hmm … good point, that. Should we go and ask –?'

'No,' Aaliyah giggled quietly. 'You'll not go. You'll say you were here when he wasn't.'

'But that's _lying_,' Remus gasped, surprised.

Aaliyah shook her head. 'No one would believe you if you told them you're friends with Sirius and James, really. You've got into this 'cause of me, so I'm gonna get you out of this.' Something about her unusually wicked smile made Remus find her somewhat alluring.

'Okay,' he smiled.

'Sh!' Binns hissed. 'Are you going to get on with the paper? If not, the two of you may visit Professor McGiggnyolgal, who you will both be having your detentions with.'

Now Aaliyah had to work _really_ hard to stifle a laugh, despite having their detention with McGonagall as opposed to Binns. She felt surprised when she looked down at the test paper. She was so busy talking to Remus that she didn't realise everyone had already started.

She opened the first page. She read the first question. She let her mouth drop open.

_State why Eric the Evil Was a Huge Factor in Developing Spells._

_Who _onearthwas_ Eric the Evil_? Aaliyah thought to herself, miming the words to herself. She then felt a slight nudge on her elbow, and turned to look at Remus, who had already written a paragraph and was about to start another.

He stared at her and then down at his parchment.

'What?' Aaliyah whispered.

He nodded at her and then at his parchment.

'Huh?'

He repeated the movement; Aaliyah repeated her deformed question.

'Copy off me,' Remus whispered. 'Just change the words.'

Aaliyah nodded solemnly, feeling grateful. It wasn't hard to copy off Remus; Binns had nothing to do but stare out the window and spy on James and Sirius, playing Quidditch in their free period.

'Mate, I don't get why you don't join the team,' said James loudly, ducking as Sirius flew past him; he heard a _whoosh _coming from Sirius.

'Because,' Sirius shouted back, 'Regulus is on the Slytherin Quidditch team.'

'Padfoot, he's already ruined part of your school life,' said James from on end of the hoops, 'don't let him hold you back.'

'From what?' Sirius asked.

James threw caution to the winds; he could see Sirius was getting angry. 'You've got Quidditch player potential. If you'd practise a bit more, maybe join the team –'

'No, thanks,' Sirius snorted curtly. 'I play Quidditch for fun, not for a living.'

'It'd be awesome to have a friend on the team,' James retorted.

'You're the captain,' said Sirius tonelessly. 'If I get on the team, everyone'll think you put me on because I'm your friend. Favouritism.'

'Since when did you care what everyone says?' James frowned, but he soon found a distraction.

Beyond the Quidditch pitch, he saw a certain someone near the Forbidden Forest, her dark red hair standing out from the mass of blonds, browns and black-haired students.

'She's got Care of Magical Creatures now?' Sirius asked, playing along with the diversion.

'Looks it …' James didn't realise he was staring at her with his mouth hanging.

'Are you hungry or something, mate?' Sirius sniggered. 'C'mon, we got lunch next.'

'Wait, Sirius, d'you see that?' James whispered urgently to him. 'In the Forest? Look, there. The clump of few trees …'

'Yeah, that's a Centaur, isn't it?' Sirius frowned, thinking. 'What's he holding?'

'I think that's a bow and arrow!' James exclaimed. 'I'm sure it is! You remember, Centaurs don't like invasions of "their Forest"! They're so stingy they don't allow people to go even a _little_ bit near. D'you remember the time when, at full moon, we were all running across the grounds and we decided to go to the Forest with Moony, but they chased us out.'

It was Sirius's turn to drop his jaw. 'Wait, he's going at Kettleburn and them!'

'_Yes_!' gasped James. 'Wait, let's fly down. D'you have your wand on you?'

'Yeah, but we can't attack that Centaur, Prongs!'

'No … we're doing it in self-defence,' said James protectively. 'Well, defence.'

'Exactly.'

James froze for a split second, just as Sirius had. They then grinned; the same identical, wicked grin. 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' James asked unnecessarily; of course Sirius was.

'Let's do this,' said Sirius enthusiastically, nodding.

The two flew beyond the Quidditch pitch and down by the forest, but out of sight from the class.

'Wait,' James whispered. 'What if Lily – what if Evans recognises you? She knows you're a dog.'

'She doesn't know what I look like,' Sirius pointed out.

'I've never seen a dog around here – you're the only one.'

Sirius's heart sank – he really fancied fighting with a Centaur. Why did Evans have to find out?

'I'll call if I need you – you stay here,' said James hurriedly. He transformed into a beautiful stag. His antlers were twice as big as his head, but they looked normal. His small tail swished slightly as he galloped off into the forest, searching for the Centaur before it was too late.

'Hold it right there,' said a low-voiced Centaur. 'It's you again, isn't it?'

Prongs turned to him and stepped backwards slightly.

'No, it's okay,' the Centaur continued. 'My name is Firenze. Who are you? You're no animal, I can tell that. I've seen you riding around for the past two years or so.'

Prongs tossed his head.

'Are you a student?'

'Don't be silly, Firenze!' shouted another Centaur, trotting his way to them. 'What are you doing, interfering with other creatures? Leave them be! Maybe that way, we'll get more peace.'

'But, Bane, this isn't a creature!'

Prongs neighed, leaning on his hind legs and scratching the air with his front, attempting to look fearful.

'AWAY, AWAY, AWAY!' Firenze shouted, galloping away with Bane.

'Ha, ha, ha, ha, haaa,' came a low chuckle from Sirius. 'You know your stuff, don't you?'

Prongs allowed Sirius to pat his head, before motioning for Sirius to return to his station, which he did so reluctantly, but obediently.

He then galloped on until he heard some babbling, which was presumably the students. So the Centaur had to be here somewhere … there! That half-horse, half-human, pulling his arrow against the string of his bow, preparing to aim …

Prongs neighed again and charged at the Centaur with full force, _just_ as he shot the arrow, which, with a loud _twang_, hit a tree which Lily was leaning against, talking to Alice.

Some students, Lily and Alice among them, stepped cautiously in the Forest, investigating the source of the noise.

Lily gasped and clutched Alice's arm. 'Look, it's a stag!'

'A what?' Alice asked flatly.

'A stag!'

'Oh, really?' she said in that same tone.

'An animal.'

'I wouldn't have guessed. Really.'

Lily ignored Alice and approached the beautiful creature softly, hoping he wouldn't gallop away. Instead, the stag approached her, too, cautiously. She reached a hand out slowly … and patted his head softly.

'Move out the way, Evans,' Parkinson, a pug-faced Slytherin, sneered. 'I'll show you how it's done.' She rudely pushed Lily out of the way and confidently reached an arm out to touch the stag. Whatever happened next was completely unexpected and called-for. Prongs leaned back onto his hind legs and pushed Parkinson with his front. She stumbled back into a pool of sloppy mud and screamed.

'EWWWWWWWWW!' she shouted, spitting mud out of her mouth and shaking it out of her tangled hair. She tried standing up, but slipped back down; a lot of the students in the vicinity got splashed.

'Parkinson!' barked Professor Kettleburn. 'What _are _you doing? Stand up, girl.'

'I can't!' shrieked Parkinson, folding her arms stubbornly.

Lily huffed impatiently. She extended a hand down to Parkinson; Parkinson took it reluctantly. When she was on her feet, she shook her hair at Lily and marched off with her nose in the air, claiming she had to go wash before someone caught her and the mud dried up.

'Idiot,' said Lily darkly, shaking her head.

'I know!' Alice seconded. 'I mean, _everyone_ knows that that type of mud washes off. Well, almost everyone …'

'Shut up, Knight,' said one of Parkinson's henchwomen snidely. 'We can't all be dorky little boffins who have Pure-blood-hating know-it-alls for friends.'

'Who's your pure-blood-hating friend?' Lily whispered loudly to Alice.

Alice blinked confusedly and shrugged.

'Urgh, I'm talking about the _Mudblood_,' said the Slytherin, irritated. 'And you two called Pelly an idiot.'

'Hey,' Lily started, 'we remember we're witches who can magic away mud.'

'Oh, yeah …' said the Slytherin wonderingly, defeated.

'Oh, yeah!' Alice repeated, astounded that she hadn't thought of that.

Lily shook her head at Alice, wondering how they ended up as friends. She turned back to look at the stag, who was still staring at Lily. Not scarily or creepily, but curiously, as though he was trying to figure her out. She returned the action.

When the bell rang, Lily told Alice to go on ahead and have lunch. 'I'll be five minutes.'

She then approached the stag after a last wave to Alice. This time, she wasn't timid. 'James Potter?'

A bark of laughter from behind her made her laugh. 'Quick, aren't you?' Sirius laughed. 'How did you know it's him?'

'The way he was staring at me and how he's holding himself,' said Lily casually. 'I mean, he hasn't got proper stag stance. And no one else has eyes like those …'

Prongs shook his head – Sirius had to translate. 'He tries.'

'He fails.'

Prongs shook his head again – Sirius had difficulty translating. The stag pointed, with his head, to Lily, then to his hoof and back to Lily. 'Erm … er … why don't you just resume your human form, Prongs?'

'No,' smiled Lily. 'I like him in his stag form.'

'Why?'

'He can't talk and annoy me,' she said mildly. 'Plus, he's kind of almost sort of good-looking as an animal.'

The stag neighed as Sirius gave another bark of laughter.

'What?' Lily asked, frowning. 'What did I say?'

'No … it's just that …' Sirius could hardly talk from laughing so hard. 'If you're "good-looking" as a human, then you look good as an animal, too. Otherwise you're one beast.'

'Oh,' said Lily, blushing. 'I take that back then. Eurgh. Why couldn't you be in dog form? That way you wouldn't irritate me half to death with your annoyingness. No, mood ruined. Oh, go away.'

As she turned around to leave, she heard the voice she most dreaded. 'Wait, Evans!' He ran in front of her and held her arm to stop.

It was Lily's turn to communicate wordlessly; she looked at him, then at her arm and back at him again.

'Oh, sorry,' he said quickly, releasing her arm. 'I just wanted to say how can you remember my posture and stuff?'

'I might not be a human to you,' said Lily coldly, 'but I still have a memory.'

'No!' he said loudly. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to shout. I meant that you hardly notice anything about me.'

Lily surveyed him, trying to think up a retort. 'It takes no effort to remember an annoying thing like you.'

James rolled his eyes, sighed and turned away from her, just as Sirius said, 'Ignore her, mate. There're some girls you just can't impress.'

'And there're some guys who just don't stop being irritating,' Lily retorted over her shoulder, walking away.

'And there're some girls who keep holding grudges!' Sirius shouted.

'And there're some guys who just don't know when to shut up.'

'So …' came a deep, soft voice in front of Lily, 'I see Mr Potter and you are getting along well.'

Lily shuffled her feet, avoiding her Headmaster's eyes. 'Erm … well … I, er …'

'All in good time,' smiled Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling.

'I wouldn't count on that, Sir,' said Lily truthfully, not wanting to get his hopes up.

'Oh, _I _would.'

*.*.*

At the end of the day, all seventh-years were to report to their Heads of Houses. It was chaos outside Professor McGonagall's office.

'Silence!' she shouted over the babble, largely created by Sirius. 'Now, this little gathering is about where you would like to go for work experience.'

'Please, Professor,' Lily piped, 'I have no idea, whatsoever.'

'Well, maybe …' said Professor McGonagall, 'maybe if you listen to others, you may pick up an idea of what you'd like to do. Let's see …' she continued, ignoring Lily pursing her lips; she didn't like copying others. 'We'll start with … Potter, Head Boy. Where's the first place you would like to go for work experience, Mr Potter?'

James shrugged; Lily snorted, sarcastically thinking how helpful James was. 'On a Quidditch pitch, I guess.'

It was McGonagall's turn to purse her lips. 'Okay, where's the _last_ place you would like to work?'

'Filch's office.'

'Why?'

'Because that means I've got a detention.'

All of the Gryffindors burst into laughter – all but two. Lily shook her head to Vanessa who grimaced.

'C'mon,' laughed Aaliyah, 'how could you two _not_ find that funny? '

'Enough with the fooling around,' barked McGonagall after biting back a smile. 'Really, people. You must figure out where you would like to go for work experience before –'

'I know where I want to go,' Lily smiled suddenly.

'St Mungo's?' McGonagall asked.

'No,' Lily said mildly.

'In the Ministry?' Aaliyah questioned.

'No,' said Lily thoughtfully, staring up at the ceiling.

'What can be better then a hospital and the Ministry?' asked McGonagall wonderingly, staring at what Lily was staring at.

'You're going to work in space …?' Vanessa asked, ignoring Sirius's snort.

'No,' Lily said lightly. 'I'm going to work in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.'

It was a tumbleweed moment. No one knew what to say to the crazy girl. Suddenly, Vanessa burst out laughing.

'Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!' she laughed. Gradually, everyone besides Lily and McGonagall, burst out laughing. 'Good one, Lils.'

'What?' Lily said, confused, staring and Vanessa now. 'I wasn't kidding.'

The laughter subsided immediately. Another tumbleweed moment later –

'Miss Evans, are you feeling ill?' McGonagall voiced, shocked.

'I'm fine,' said Lily thoughtfully.

'But you're so _bright_! Why not do something that'll help you in the future? I thought you had said you wanted to become a Healer?'

'And there's plenty of time for Healer Training,' Lily smiled. 'I want to do something I'll enjoy. I like ice cream and I like Florean Fortescue – perfect match! This opportunity will only come once, so I'm going to use it wisely.'

Sirius was in a fit of silent chuckles, hiding his face and leaning on the shoulder of a surprised James, who was staring at Lily with his mouth opened; even Remus, who knew Lily quite well, was astonished.

McGonagall composed herself. 'Very well,' she breathed in. 'I hope that has inspired all of you.'

'Yeah,' said Vanessa brightly. 'I want to work in Madam Malkin's.'

'That wasn't quite what I meant …'

Sirius's laughter stopped short. Instead, he stared at Vanessa with a lump in his throat. He'd always known Vanessa had a thing for designing.

'And I'd like to work in Quality Quidditch Supplies,' Sirius croaked.

'What?' James explained. 'Padfoot, _I_ wanna go there! High-five!'

'No,' said McGonagall flatly. 'There is _no_ way I'm going to allow the two of you to work in one place.'

'Oh, but –'

'No, Mr Black.'

'Fine, but –'

'Yes, Potter?'

James blinked. 'That was all I had.'

'Very well. Miss White, where would you like to go?'

Aaliyah smiled and thought to herself. Then, in a sugar-sweet tone, she said, 'I want to work in the Magical Menagerie. I like animals.'

McGonagall nodded and moved on to Remus. 'Flourish and Blotts,' he grinned.

She nodded again and looked at Peter. 'Erm … Zonko's Joke Shop?'

The Deputy sighed, but nodded, while James jokingly said, 'Ah, no! That was my next choice. Okay, I'll go for … can you come back to me later, Professor?'

'Okay. Miss Knight?'

'I … want to work in Hogwarts,' Alice squeaked to surprise.

'You can't do that,' Cassie said.

'Okay … I want to work in the Ministry.'

'Under which department, Miss Knight?'

'Erm … the Deparment of Magical Law Enforcement.'

Sirius scoffed, 'What are you gonna do? Reinforce some law about wearing pink every Wednesday?' Peter guffawed and James struggled to hide a snigger; the girls, Vanessa in particular, glared.

'Ignore them,' said Lily softly. 'They know nothing about you.'

Alice giggled and smiled as McGonagall turned to Cassie.

'Cassandra?'

'The Three Broomsticks,' said Cassie immediately.

'WHY?' James burst out. 'Are you people choosing my favourite places on purpose?'

'What would a boy like you want to do in The Three Broomsticks?' Lily asked, not really interested.

James shut his mouth abruptly, blushing slightly.

McGonagall ignored them and addressed Cassie. 'I'm afraid you cannot work there for health and safety reasons.'

Cassie sighed. 'Uff … fine … Honeydukes!' she exclaimed, gleeful to have found a place she loved.

James silently cursed, making weird gestures with his hands. McGonagall ignored him completely.

'Okay. And last, but not least, Mr Potter?'

'Wherever,' he said in a resigned tone.

'You may regret that,' McGonagall said. She smiled, which she does rarely, and dismissed them.

What was that supposed to mean?

Aaliyah, Lily and Vanessa made their way to the common room, ready to dig through all homework they had. However, the common room was dead quiet – the other students hadn't returned from their lessons yet. This meant –

'Marauders,' Vanessa groaned, sinking back into her armchair, as the Marauders descended the stairs of the boys' dormitories. 'I swear, they _are_ the most annoyingest people ever!'

'Annoyingest?' Lily repeated, eyebrows raised.

'Oh, sh.'

'Hey, Aaliyah!' Remus called over to her from the table they'd just sat down at. 'Don't forget our detention after dinner.'

'Okay, Remus,' Aaliyah called back, blushing and turning back around to her friends.

'What detention?' asked Vanessa tonelessly.

'And why are you blushing?' Lily questioned interestedly, eyes wide and smile broad.

'Binns was in a bad mood and gave us detentions,' said Aaliyah casually, rolling her eyes. 'It's so hot in here, Lily.'

'No, it's not,' Lily grinned. 'Ooooooooooh … someone's got a crush.'

'Shut up,' snapped Aaliyah. 'He might hear you.'

'I hate crushes,' Lily said, ignoring Aaliyah. 'People should be open and honest. I know!' It was almost as though a candle had lit above her head. 'I'll just get up and go over –' Lily even made to get out of her armchair, but Aaliyah pushed her back.

'Don't you dare,' she said threateningly. 'I don't have any feelings for him.'

'Don't worry, Liyah,' said Vanessa soothingly. 'We'll just be like: "Excuse me, Remus Lupin, our mate has a crush on you!". Sounds good?'

'No,' said Aaliyah flatly. 'This is the _first time_ Lily and Vanessa have been wrong. Be wrong. Just sit there in your wrongness and be wrong.'

'We're so right,' Lily smirked, giving Vanessa a high-five.

Aaliyah stomped off to the girls' dormitory, thinking. Was she _that_ obvious? No, they were _that_ annoying. Yes, that'd be it. Aaliyah Christina White does _not_ have a crush on Remus John Lupin, the cutest most sensitive boy in the seventh-year.

* * *

Friday 2nd September 1977


	5. Different Perspectives

- Chapter Five -

~ Different Perspectives ~

It was so early in the morning – the sun hadn't properly risen yet. There were gentle hoots coming from the Owlery, but otherwise, all was quiet, all was peaceful.

Lily sighed, smiling, and turned over in her bed. The curtains hadn't already been pulled aside to reveal a beautiful sight; the azure sky was tinted with strips of baby pink, and gilded rays shot from the sun in every direction. Only a few clouds were to be seen.

She yawned quietly and sat up in bed, running a hand through her hair. Why was she so happy? Because she didn't have a reason _not_ to be. Come October, she would be living a _dream_ – working in an ice cream parlour! Even if it was only for a week, it was going to be great.

Still smiling, she got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to ready and refresh herself for the day ahead. No one could ruin it. Not even James Potter.

*.*.*

What was the time? And why were the owls hooting so much? They should shut up before Sirius gets really annoyed. He doesn't like being woken up. Despite the dimness in the boys' dormitory, Sirius made out, from his watch, that it was only quarter past six. Why was he up at quarter past six on a Saturday?

'Stupid owls,' he groaned quietly to himself. 'Stupid sun. Stupid time. Stupid Sirius. Stupidness. Stupid life. Stupid everything. Stupid –'

'Paddddddfoooooooooot,' moaned James, his voice muffled as he was lying face down on his bed, 'if you're gonna curse, do it somewhere else. Some of us are trying to sleep.'

'Stupid Prongs,' said Sirius bitterly, getting out of bed.

'I heard that!' James called, his voice still muffled.

Wearing a grimace on his face, Sirius entered the bathroom, wishing the day would just fly by and he'd be back in bed before he knew it.

'What are _you_ doing up so early?' Lily asked Sirius as she came down the stairs or her dormitory. He was already in his armchair, so low that Lily wouldn't have noticed him had he not been muttering under his breath.

'Nothing,' he grunted. 'You?'

'Not a lot,' Lily shrugged, still smiling. She then remembered the promise she had made to Vanessa and walked away without another word. But Sirius ran after her.

'Hey, we were having a conversation there.'

'I want breakfast,' was all she said, passing through the portrait of the Fat Lady.

'We can eat together,' he said hurriedly, still following her.

'Why're you so keen all of a sudden?' Lily asked, stopping dead in her tracks and frowning.

'I'm bored and alone,' Sirius shrugged. 'But if you don't want me, fine.'

Lily burst out laughing, clutching her ribs. 'W – When have I ever shown the s – slightest bit of interest in you? And people say you and Potter are clever!'

Sirius shrugged indifferently and tried heading back to the common room, but the Fat Lady scolded him and told him she was tired enough without 'silly little brats' awaking her.

'Evans, wait!' Sirius shouted.

She didn't, so he ran.

'Stupid first-years waking up so early,' he said resentfully.

'Will you stop cursing?'

'No.'

'Rhetorical question.'

'Flat answer.'

'Oh, go away!'

'Fine,' Sirius shrugged again. He quickened his pace and made it to the Great Hall before an irritated Lily.

She breathed in and out before picking a seat furthest away from Sirius. To her misfortune, a certain dark-haired, hazel-eyed, stag-Animagus entered the Hall and search and found Lily.

'What, Potter?' she said tonelessly, reaching out for a pancake.

'When should we have our first meeting?' he asked her casually, acting as though this meant very little to him.

'Never …?'

'Evans,' said James sternly; his tone shocked Lily, although she acted as though it meant very little to her.

She quickly composed herself, thinking _the sooner this is over with, the better_. 'Okay, how does … tomorrow sound?'

'Bit soon, isn't it?' _She wants to get this over with_.

'I like staying on top of things.' _I so want to get this over with._

'All right, then,' said James pleasantly. 'Tomorrow … about an hour before dinner in the Heads' Room.' _I should just go, I'm probably annoying her._

'I'll be there,' she smiled. _You can go away now; you're getting on my nerves_.

He smiled at her and walked away to Sirius; she smiled back and sighed when he was gone, wiping sweat that wasn't there off her forehead.

'What did you go there for?' Sirius asked James darkly as the latter took his seat.

'No … just to organise a meeting,' said James vaguely, somewhat untruthful.

'James,' said Sirius solemnly; it was the first time Sirius had called James by his name in a while – James knew he was in for it. 'Stop running after her.'

James pretended to look offended. 'Pff … _me_? Running after _her_? Pff … tch … yeah, right.'

Sirius merely stared sceptically at his best friend. 'James, the only way she's gonna like you is if you show her the _real_ you.'

'The real me? This _is_ me! And she doesn't like it. I don't care anyway. I'm through with her. End of.'

'No. Not end of. You're going to tell her what happened over summer –'

'_Why_?' James gasped, outraged. 'That's just plain attention-seeking.'

'And that's what you _want_,' Sirius encouraged. 'You want her attention.'

'I don't want her,' said James flatly, standing up. 'I was mad about her once upon a time, but that's history. She's a nasty, bossy, short-tempered, stubborn, spiteful –'

'Mate, that's enough –'

'I've not even started! She is just _so_ full of herself, thinking she's above –'

'Prongs, I'm not kidding, shut up before –'

'Who does she think she is? The first female Minister? Why does she _always_ expect the best? Almost as though –'

'Prongs,' hissed Sirius, standing up as well, 'ssh.'

'No, Sirius! You guys were right all along. I can do _so_ much better than a … a … an intolerant, boring dork, who –'

'Whoa, mate, ease up,' Sirius whispered. 'Hush now while you've got the chance.'

'_Why_?'

'Dude, she's right behind you …'

James slowly and fearfully turned around, expecting another shouting match. But what he saw was worse. No tears, no frowns. Instead, Lily wore a normal face.

'You know,' said James lightly, 'you've got a real thing for accidentally listening in on other people's conversations …'

'I just came to tell you,' she sniffed – she may have looked composed, but she sounded horrible, 'I can't make it tomorrow, so could we have it today.'

'Oh, sure! Of course.'

Lily merely nodded and left, staring at her feet rather than the path ahead.

'Padfoot, _what do I do now_?' James whispered to Sirius.

'Bit late for whispering, mate,' Sirius said casually, sitting back down and helping himself to a crumpet.

'Meeting! Today. Awkward. She knows how much I hate her now!' James exclaimed, sitting down and helping himself to Sirius's crumpet.

'Dude, that's mine.'

'Not anymore. What do I do?'

'Give it back.'

'About the meeting …'

'Wing it,' Sirius said easily. 'She's an easy chick.'

'She is _not_ an "easy chick",' said James. 'She's Lily Evans and she has feelings, whether she does or doesn't show 'em. And she most commonly does the latter … but still. She's _not_ easy; she's one of a kind. There's not another girl in this whole _school_, no, this whole _world_ who can say they're anything like her.'

'Prongs, not many witches have dark red hair and bright green eyes.'

'I don't mean appearance,' sighed James. 'I mean everything else. I mean, sure, she's brains _and_ beauty, but have you ever met anyone as charming? Someone who _everyone_, even a few Slytherins, like?'

'Yeah,' said Sirius, confused, as though James was missing something obvious. 'Us.'

James shook his head in a resigned fashion. 'I give up.'

'Why couldn't you say all of this nice stuff when she was around?'

'Oh, _Lily_ might not be around to hear it,' came Aaliyah's voice, 'but I am. I knew you weren't over her.'

She sat down next to James as Remus sat next to Sirius opposite her.

'Is it a girl thing?' asked James irritably. 'Being able to catch the worst part of a conversation?'

Aaliyah shrugged. 'Probably. Why? And how did I catch the worst part?'

'She overheard me going on about her, er, worst qualities,' said James shame-facedly. 'And you're going to relay everything I just said to her, so she's gonna think I'm all over her.'

'Again,' Aaliyah added.

'Again,' James agreed reluctantly.

'Don't worry,' Aaliyah smiled. 'I know, Lils. She's not a bighead. She'll only believe you like her when you tell her.'

'And yet, she wouldn't believe I love her when I tell her,' he said to himself.

'You're so pessimistic – I hardly know you and I know you're not often like this,' Aaliyah grinned. 'Right, Remus?'

'Huh?' Remus said stupidly, gazing open-mouthed at Aaliyah, who giggled and repeated herself.

'Erm, yeah, that's right,' said Remus quickly, his cheeks beginning to redden.

Aaliyah laughed her wind-chime-like laugh and began eating away a pancake.

'How come you're up early?' James asked Remus.

'Couldn't sleep,' shrugged Remus. 'Then I saw Peter, you and Sirius were elsewhere, so I decided you two would need supervision.'

Aaliyah laughed freely again.

'Where's Peter?' Remus asked, confused and looking around.

'He was in our dormitory,' said James slowly.

'… He wasn't there when I awoke …'

'He might've been in the bathroom.'

'I was in there …'

'It's only Peter,' Sirius shrugged, eating more crumpets. 'How much trouble can he alone get up to?'

'Peter. You were alone. How could you get into so much trouble?' said Sirius in a low, disbelieving tone, his eyes on the awoken Gryffindors trying to extinguish the fire, which was slowly making its way up the girls' dormitories tower. 'Peter?'

'It … it was an accident,' squeaked Peter. 'I just thought I'd … I'd –'

'Try killing us?' Cassie asked frantically. 'Just _look_ at what you've done to our dormitories! We've got nowhere to sleep! Not even _magic_ can repair this!'

'Cass, calm down,' said Lily softly, looking away from the flaming staircase. 'Everyone makes mistakes.'

'Peter, did you think you were cool or something?' said Sirius angrily. 'Trying to prank them?'

'Wait, where's Nessa?' said Lily suddenly, frantic to find Vanessa. '_Where is Vanessa?_'

'What if –' Aaliyah began, panicking.

'– she's still in the fire,' Lily finished, horrified.

'There must be plenty of girls in the fire,' James roared over the noise.

'Wait, don't go in there!' Lily half-screamed at a first-year attempting to sneak back into the dormitories. 'It's too dangerous.' Lily had to drag the first-year back by her hand as she squealed, 'My stuff! My stuff!'

'It's not worth your life,' said Lily comfortingly. 'Oh, for heaven's sake, I need Potter to restrain you first-years.'

'What're we gonna do about this fire?' Alice asked the seventh-years as they huddled. 'Water's too slow and there're so many girls trying to get back in!'

Alice's panicking seemed to clear Lily's mind, helping her think rationally. 'Aaliyah – register and evacuate everyone; make sure you've got all the girls' names down, at least. Alice, Cassie, Peter and Remus, keep firing water –'

'Firing water,' Sirius echoed, shaking his head.

'Shut up, Black,' snapped Cassie.

'Me, Potter and Black are going to go in. Any questions?'

'Yeah,' Aaliyah piped up. 'Why do we have to get them out of here?'

'The smoke's getting thick,' Lily pointed out. Sure enough, she was right; a dense, grey cloud was forming above them. 'Anything else?'

'Yeah,' James said in his deep, soft, velvety voice, 'why are you coming? Surely it should be me, Sirius and Remus.'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'I'm a _girl_, so I can get up the stairs of the girls' dormitory.'

'We could fly through the window,' Sirius suggested.

'It'll be too late by then,' Lily said seriously.

'But all the same –' James argued.

'Wrong time to be chivalrous, Potter,' Lily said through gritted teeth. 'Let's move. Cass, if you can, get the fifth- and sixth-years to help with putting out the fire.'

However, Lily's plan wasn't as brilliant as it seemed; the water could only temporarily extinguish the fire.

'Lils, we've got every witch besides Nessa,' Aaliyah panicked aloud. 'What now?'

'Evacuate,' Lily shouted over the noise. 'Leave the fifth- and sixth-years if they're going to help. Remus, help Aaliyah, please.'

Remus nodded solemnly and helped Aaliyah at once. Meanwhile, the human hose pipes shot water from their wands over and over again. No matter how many times they repeated the charm, the fire wouldn't go away. Not for more than half a minute, anyway.

'Okay, keep it up,' said James loudly. 'You can stop when we get in, we can take it from there.'

'Shouldn't I go with -?' Peter asked quietly.

'No, three's enough, Pete,' said James not unkindly. 'We don't want too many getting injured.'

Peter stared helplessly after his friends as they made their way up the stairs quickly and uneasily (what with the restriction), James holding onto Lily's hand tightly.

As soon as they were in the tower, James began coughing hysterically.

'Take this,' Lily ordered, untying her ascot and handing it to him. She covered her nose and mouth with her sweet, strawberry-smelling hair.

James nodded in appreciation, grateful for the inhalation of Lily's sweet scent, and they began working their way along the corridor. It was such a blurry scene; the smoke was neither heavy nor light, but it surrounded them, contaminating the air. The walls were flashing orange with the fire, and the floor was roasting, so they had to tip toe, despite wearing shoes.

'Vanessa?' Lily shouted, her voice muffled by her hair. 'Vanessa? VANESSA?'

Sirius found the door knob of their dormitory, but he couldn't open the door. 'C'm' … ON. Open!' Rattling the door knob didn't help.

'Sirius, move,' James shouted. He let go of Lily and barged into the door. Once THUD, twice THUD, thrice BANG. He knocked the door cleanly off its hinges, making the corridor shake. A bit of the ceiling collapsed and a scream echoed.

'Nessa?' Sirius shouted. 'NESSA?'

'IN HERE!' they heard Vanessa sob from the bathroom. She opened the door, holding a large jug of ice-cold water. Her face was blackened in some places and she was trembling so heavily she could hardly stand.

'What happened to your wand?' Sirius frowned.

'I don't know,' Vanessa sobbed, burying her face into his shoulder almost instantly; her comfort zone.

James raised his wand and muttered, 'Accio Vanessa's wand,' and it came flying to him a minute later. He chucked it to Vanessa.

Sirius grabbed her hand and pulled her away, while she was still holding her water jug.

'Let's get out of here,' roared James as another part of the ceiling collapsed, narrowly missing Vanessa, who jumped.

Ignoring the burning sensations on their feet, they ran back along the corridor. After, James and Sirius used their wands and cast the _Aguamenti_ charm, which held the fire down for approximately half a minute. They then practically jumped the remaining stairs before the fire could return. Sirius, being gallant and ushering Vanessa, burnt his ankle. A lot of cheering and applauding from the fifth- and sixth- years greeted them, and a chant of, 'Black and Potter, Black and Potter, Black and Potter,' followed.

'We're safe,' Vanessa panted. 'It's okay … we're fine.'

'Why're _you_ panting?' Sirius asked her, examining his ankle. 'I'm the one who did all the running – I was basically carrying you.'

'Thank y – what happened to your ankle?'

'Burnt,' he grunted.

'Here,' she said softly, pouring some of the jugged water on the injury. He flinched at first, but the cold water proved helpful.

'Nessa!' Aaliyah shrieked, but gratefully. 'You're _alive_!'

'Yeah,' Vanessa smiled, relieved. 'I am. Thanks to Black and Potter.'

'Where didEvans go?' James asked, reappearing, throwing a scarf to Aaliyah. 'I wanna give her back her scarf.'

'Reluctantly,' Sirius muttered under his breath, but, fortunately, no one heard him.

'Why're you asking me?' Vanessa blinked, perplexed. 'I just came out.'

'But Lily was _in_,' Aaliyah said slowly, fear gradually increasing. 'She went in to get you! With Sirius and James!

'I didn't see her. She didn't come out!' Vanessa concluded, looking horrified.

As she spoke, they heard the sound of wood crashing yet again. This time, however, a shrill scream sounded, a piercing, shrill scream.

'LILY!' James yelled.

Sirius attempted to stand up, but his ankle was in too much pain; Vanessa pushed him back down on the floor.

'My mate's girlfriend to-be is in there –' he growled to Vanessa, who ignored him completely.

'It's my fault she's in there; _I'll_ get her out,' she said determinedly. 'Wait … where's James?'

'LILY?' James shouted once inside to no reply. 'LILY? LILY? LILY, WHERE ARE YOU?'

There was still no reply.

It suddenly dawned on him that she might not reply due to circumstances beyond her control … when and where was the last place he saw her pretty face? Before they opened the seventh-years' dormitory door … before part of the ceiling had collapsed and a girl had screamed …

He dodged roaring flames and ran down the corridor to a large pile of rubble at the end, where most of the ceiling had collapsed. He saw her wand lying nearby … she had to be there. _If_ _she_ _wasn't_ … he thought as he moved some of the wreckage aside.

It didn't matter; she _was_ there. Not responding, sure, but she was there.

'Li – Evans,' he croaked, gently slapping her injured face. 'Evans?' He examined her peaceful face; blood was leaking from her forehead into her hair, and her face, like Vanessa's, had black smears over it.

He felt for her pulse, but couldn't find it. Panic arose as fast as the fire had spread. Despite knowing Lily would hate him for this if she ever found out, he opened her mouth and blew air into her. He had to repeat this motion three times before she opened her eyes and took a deep breath in. Stupidity; this brought on a coughing fit. She then stood up abruptly, leaning on the wall for support.

'Wh – wh – what –?'

'C'mon,' James muttered. He put an arm around her waist and almost literally dragged her away.

By the time Lily and James had come out of the tower, teachers had finally been called to the scene and were attempting to extinguish the fire.

'Thank heavens,' Professor McGonagall gasped, her hand on her heart. 'So kind of Mr Potter to go back in there to get you. How are you feeling, Miss Evans? That is a nasty wound on your forehead … maybe Madam Pomfrey should look at that.'

Lily opened her mouth and inhaled, about to speak, but her coughing fit began again. Instead, she nodded and gratefully accepted water from Aaliyah.

'That was interesting,' said Sirius happily.

'That was horrible,' Vanessa disagreed.

'I thought it was a bit of both,' said Aaliyah fairly.

'What a nightmare,' Remus said.

'We've all got different opinions, okay?' said Aaliyah defensively. 'Different viewpoints, different perspectives, different interests and everything.'

Sirius gave her a high-five; Vanessa turned away from her.

Flitwick, McGonagall, Slughorn and Sprout shepherded the Gryffindors out of the heavily-smoking common room and attempted to douse the fire together.

Vanessa was still weak – she had to lean on Aaliyah for support. Lily, however, refused any assistance in walking. All she needed was Aaliyah's water.

'Oh, it's not mine,' Aaliyah smiled sweetly. 'I got it from Nessa.'

'You call this water?' Lily croaked. 'It tastes funny.'

'Oh, I got it from the bathroom,' said Vanessa.

'Ew, bathroom tap water.' But she still took grateful sips from it every five seconds or so.

'No, toilet water.'

Lily spat out the water instantly, unfortunately for James, who was standing near her. 'Ew, _toilet water_?' She then saw Vanessa laughing. 'Okay, you got me good,' Lily admitted, laughing along. 'Sorry, Potter.'

'It's okay,' he said easily. 'And that bottle had pumpkin juice in it.'

'How d'you know?'

'It's mine.'

He found himself, yet again, attacked by water from Lily's mouth. '_What?' _she exclaimed. 'Oh … Aaliyah had given it to me, though.'

'I found it,' Aaliyah shrugged indifferently.

'Oh … thanks, Potter,' she said flatly, throwing his bottle back to him.

He caught it cleanly and said, 'No problem. You wanna get your head checked.'

'I'm not mad,' Lily gasped, shocked.

'I wasn't questioning your insanity,' James grinned. 'I meant your forehead.'

Lily automatically touched her forehead softly before wincing. 'Yeah. I'll see you guys later. No, it's okay,' she said to Aaliyah and Vanessa who were about to follow her faithfully, 'it's only Madam Pomfrey.'

When Lily reached the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey fussed over her. She cleaned the wound and healed it to near perfection in less than five minutes, but still disapproved.

She was going to make her way back to the Fat Lady's portrait, but Alice and Cassie told her the others were down by the lake.

'You look normal again,' Aaliyah smiled when she saw Lily. Aaliyah was lying down on the jade-green grass, squinting up at the clear, bright blue sky. It was such a cool and peaceful autumn's morning.

'Yeah … Potter, can I talk to you for a minute?'

This caught James completely off guard. What did she want with him now? He nodded and followed her next to a mahogany tree.

'Thanks,' she said softly.

'For what now?' He sounded calm and curious, but, although Lily didn't know, his heart was trying to escape from his chest.

'For everything,' she smiled. 'For going back in the blazing dormitory tower to get me, for giving me your breath, for –'

'I thought you'd be mad,' said James, unable to hide his shock.

'No,' Lily laughed slightly. 'I would've if it wasn't a matter of life and death. Thanks so much. I know you don't like me, but …' She leaned in, making James's heart beat more wilder; he could see the flecks of dark green in her emerald eyes, feeling her warm breath on his face. She kissed him on the cheek and smiled shyly.

'I don't not like you,' James said, confused and blinking, feeling dazed. 'I was annoyed this morning. Sirius provoked me, I swear.'

'Whatever,' Lily laughed. 'That's all I wanted to say. Thanks, James.'

She _wanted_ to talk to him. She _kissed_ him on the cheek. _She called him _James.

He wanted to faint. He wanted to stop her as she walked back to their friends, two of whom were complaining about detention with McGonagall. He wanted to spend the rest of the day, the week, the month, the year, forever with her. Lily Evans.

* * *

Saturday 3rd September 1977


	6. To Lack Information

- Chapter Six -

~ To Lack Information ~

Vanessa was still somewhat traumatised by the fire, but the fear and shock wasn't a great deal in comparison to her ecstasy of having Sirius back as a boyfriend. Indeed, they were together again, both breaking the hearts of several Hogwartians: Vanessa, having dated at least half the boys in sixth- and seventh-years, made the hopes of several wizards rise; Sirius, the school's most renown hottie, was normally found with at least a large group of gaggling girls spying on him. It was amazing how the two could trust each other with crowds like that.

'It's a matter of how much faith you have,' said Vanessa superiorly to an awestruck crowd of girls, about ten, who had gathered around her in a circle in the courtyard. 'I have complete faith in Sirius, and I know that, no matter how many girls are onto him, he'll stay true.'

The crowd of girls, all in the years below Vanessa, sighed; Aaliyah coughed, 'Liar,' earning some glares from Vanessa's new admirers.

Vanessa rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling. 'She's just jealous,' she reassured them. 'The last time she's had a kiss was probably from her aunt before she came here.'

The crowd laughed, some girls even gave Aaliyah sympathetic look, which only infuriated her. She stormed off, leaving Lily torn between two. Deciding Aaliyah's needs were stronger than Vanessa's, Lily power-walked after her.

'Liyah! Liyah, wait up!'

But Aaliyah merely stomped down the stone corridor, curtly pushing past offended students.

'Aaliyah, wait,' Lily panted. She quickened her pace, but still couldn't catch up Aaliyah, so she began to run. Big mistake. She ran straight into the worst person she could run into, even worse than James Potter.

Severus Tobias Snape.

'Whoa!' Lily half-shouted.

'It's okay,' said Snape slowly. 'I've got you.'

He did have her … literally. His left arm was wrapped around her back and waist to stop her falling and his right hand found her wrist. Lily felt like throwing up. She hadn't directly looked into those coal black eyes since fifth-year, probably. She could inhale the stench of his greasy hair, the rough feeling of his breath … she thought she was going to vomit.

'Hey!' she shouted suddenly, trying to get free. 'I mean, th-thanks, Sev – Snape, but I didn't need your help.' She tried releasing herself, but he wouldn't let go. 'I said thanks,' said Lily pointedly, 'you can let go of me now.'

'Oi, Snape!' came a shout from nearby.

His shout made her heart sink. _Please go away, Potter, please go away, Potter_, Lily thought uselessly.

'Hands off!'

'Why?' said Snape in his slimy voice, but letting go of a relieved Lily all the same. 'Feeling jealous?'

'As if. Leave her alone.'

'It's not as if you own her, as if you're going out.'

James had no retort.

'We are, actually,' Lily said patronisingly. 'How can you not know? Everyone does!'

Snape's mouth was hanging wide open, a look of disbelief clear in his eyes. Even James was surprised, mirroring Snape's face, only handsomer and more kempt. He quickly caught on and strode over by Lily's side. 'Lils, this is _Snape_. He's _always_ out of it.'

He made Lily's waist tingle by holding an arm around her, but she merely gave him a you're-pushing-your-luck-here stare. He ignored her and turned to the argument Sirius and Snape were having.

'At least I'm not the size of an atom,' Sirius retorted angrily.

'At least I don't act like an arrogant toerag,' Snape spat, 'who thinks the world of himself and considers everyone underneath him.'

'"Him"?' Sirius repeated. 'Oh, you're a guy now? No one would've guessed with those clothes on.' He was gesturing to the smock under Snape's cloak. 'What, did they run out of things to wear in Oxfam or wherever Muggles shop?'

'I don't resemble a _dog_,' Snape hissed softly; the gathering crowd, Vanessa and her devotees among them, had to lean in. 'Oh, I would …'

'Oh no, you wouldn't,' Sirius said threateningly. 'If you do, I'll –'

'You'll what?' Snape sneered. 'Call a werewolf on me?'

'Snape,' said Lily, quietly enough to let Snape get away with the excuse of not hearing her.

'Maybe I will … _again_,' said Sirius hardly.

'And face expulsion? You and your dirty friends …'

'Snape,' Lily said louder. She was ignored completely.

'Anything to bring you down,' Sirius growled. 'You're too much of a coward to fight back, anyway.'

Snape smirked. 'You wouldn't fight if you didn't have three people to have your back.'

'Make that four,' said Lily firmly.

_This_ caught Snape's attention.

'You're … one of them?' said Snape.

'They're a hundred times better than you these days,' Lily said truthfully.

'Pettigrew set fire to your dormitory!' Snape gasped, incredulous.

Peter hid his face.

'People make mistakes,' said Lily coldly, moving away from James and putting an arm around Peter's shoulder instead. 'And people live and learn. Well, you don't.'

'What mistake have I repeatedly made?' Snape asked her desperately.

'Showing your face every day?' said James.

That was it.

'_Expelliarmus_!' Severus screamed, right as James shouted, '_Stupefy_!'

A bright green jet of light issued from Snape's wand and collided into the blood red jet releasing from James's wand. The force of their collision was such that they glanced off each other, attacking innocent students in the crowd. The Disarming Charm hit Aaliyah, who slammed against the marble floor with an extremely loud _thud_; the Stunning Spell hit Vanessa. She merely fell backwards.

'Look at what you did!' Snape shouted angrily.

'_Me_?' James said, infuriated. 'What did _I_ do?' He then saw Lily's disappointed face and recomposed himself. 'Whatever, Snape.' He turned his back on Snape and walked towards Vanessa's still body.

'Exactly,' Snape spat. 'You're nothing but a –'

'Here's an idea,' Lily intervened, feeling somewhat proud of James's loss of retort. 'How about, instead of fighting a losing battle, you get over there and see if Aaliyah's okay?'

'"Fighting a losing battle"?' Snape repeated in his snide tone. 'I own this fight. And why would I want to care for that dirty –'

'The winner in an argument is the one who sees it's not worth arguing,' Lily said. 'Have I taught you nothing? And you wanna get over there before McGonagall gets here.'

Sure enough, McGonagall was marching down the corridor, wanting to break up the large gathering. She didn't need to push past students; they made way for her. Her mouth dropped when she saw Aaliyah, getting up, and Vanessa on the floor. She looked even more appalled to see Snape, Sirius, Lily and James, the boys with their wands out.

'Right, you four in my office, _now_.'

Lily wasn't used to a teacher speaking like this to her. Alongside the wrong-doers, she trudged down the corridor with her face bowed down.

'What happened?' said McGonagall through gritted teeth, shutting the door with a loud snap.

No one answered.

'Anyone care to tell …?'

No one said a thing.

'If I'm not told what'd happened, I will hold _all_ of you back –'

'Snape insulted Lily,' sniffed James.

'And?'

'Snape affronted James,' Lily mumbled.

'And?' No reply came. 'So, instead of talking this out and handling the situation maturely, you decided to take things into your own hands, hm?'

'It was only me and Snape,' said James quickly.

'Is this true, Black?'

'I fought, too,' said Black proudly.

'Really, Miss Evans?'

The whole room anticipated Lily's answer. She stared directly into McGonagall's eyes as she said, 'No, Professor. We were all in this.'

'Very well,' said McGonagall uneasily, ignoring the boys' look of stupefaction, 'I shall give you all detention, then.'

'Professor, you _can't_,' said James. 'This'll be Li – Ev – Lily's first detention! You've got to let her off with a warning at least.'

McGonagall scrutinised Lily and James, the first looking anguished and the second looking desperate. The Transfiguration teacher nodded and arranged the boys' detention.

'Tomorrow after dinner,' McGonagall said sternly.

'Yes, Professor,' said James confidently, his head held high.

When McGonagall had dismissed them, Lily, ducking her head and trying to hide from the world, marched off quickly.

'Lily, wait!' James called, running after her.

'Aww, the two had a fight,' said a nearby fifth-year to her friend. They both giggled and ran off.

Sirius rolled his eyes, shrugged and ran after his best friend; Snape stared resentfully after them and sloped off in the opposite direction.

'What, Potter?' Lily sighed, stopping.

'Thanks for sticking up for me back there,' he blurted.

'And to you,' she sniffed. 'Thanks for getting me out of that detention.'

James smiled crookedly. 'I can't see you sitting your first detention.'

'Right, thanks.'

It was an awkward moment. James could tell he annoyed her slightly. 'So … after lunch tomorrow?'

'Sure, where?'

'In the common room?'

'Too noisy,' said Lily indifferently. 'And I doubt we'll be allowed in for a while … what with the smoke from the fire …'

'The Prefects' and Heads' room?'

'Sounds good to me,' Lily smiled.

'It's a date,' he said thoughtlessly. 'No! I didn't mean it like that –!'

She marched away again.

*.*.*

As Lily had predicted, the Gryffindors weren't allowed in their common room or dormitories any longer, as it was immensely thick with smoke. Teachers had to bravely enter to retrieve some of the Gryffindors' necessities. Until the damage was repaired, the Gryffindors were to sleep in the Great Hall and to lounge around outside. Until McGonagall was satisfied, Peter was going to serve detention every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening. Until all Gryffindors below seventh-year were asleep, Lily and James were to patrol the Great Hall and tell off people for communicating or preventing others from sleeping.

All in all, it wasn't the best night's sleep the Gryffindors have had. Even with the ceiling reflecting the beautiful, serene, star-filled sky outside, the calm and cool atmosphere and the squashy, purple sleeping bags, the day's event was haunting and the burning stench was still captured in some of the students' hair and the few belongings brought to them.

'Lily?' he whispered.

'_No_, James,' Lily hissed, swiftly gliding away from him and dodging occupied sleeping bags.

'Lily?' he repeated, following her.

'_No_, James,' she hissed again. 'I'm not going to sleep until I'm sure everyone else here is.'

'You've checked _four_ times.'

'I could've missed someone out.'

'_One_ person, Lily,' said James flatly.

'That "one person" could wake everyone up.'

'Unlikely.'

'You don't know that.'

'Lily!' James whispered impatiently. 'I'm not getting to sleep until you do.'

'Then don't complain,' she said simply. 'I didn't tell you to stay up.'

'You're going to regret this in the morning,' he warned her.

She sighed in a resigned way. 'Fine, okay, you win!'

James made a triumphant gesture with his arm and whispered, 'Yessssss!'

'Oh, wait,' she said abruptly, tip-toeing away, 'I think I just saw that person move …'

He shook his head and hopelessly trailed after her, not bothering to argue any more – it just wasn't worth it. Suddenly, his brain showed him a past memory.

'_Why won't you go out with me, Evans?' James asked Lily desperately._

'_I don't like you.'_

'_Why? Everyone else does.'_

'"_Everyone else" is mad. And I'm not like "everyone else", thank you very much.'_

'_Thank Merlin for that,' he admitted. 'But c'mon! You've _got_ to like me. I'm not used to rejection. I'll argue this out forever if I have to.'_

_Lily didn't reply. Closing her eyes, she let summer's sunlight shine on her, feeling the warmth and relaxation spread. Even Potter couldn't ruin this serene moment._

'_Tell me.'_

_Or maybe he could._

'_Go on, then, why are you quiet?'_

_Still no response._

'_Tell me why you don't like meeeee!' he whined._

_She merely sighed._

'_Argue back, then!' He paused. 'Ha, you can't! You don't know why you don't like me, because you _do_ like me, you're just jealous! I've won this argument! The first one against _Lily Evans!_'_

_He finally touched a nerve. 'No, Potter,' she said, trying to maintain her calm voice. 'The one who wins the argument is the one who sees it's not worth arguing.'_

… _Why did she always win …?_

Lily slipped into her sleeping bag, located near Aaliyah's and Vanessa's. Despite the comfort of the squashy sleeping bag, Lily couldn't get to sleep. She could hear the deep breathing of Aaliyah and the occasional fidget from Vanessa, but she still couldn't sleep. Seconds turned into minutes … minutes turned into hours … but Lily still couldn't get to sleep.

She turned in her sleeping bag to stare at the ceiling. The stars appeared to have a green-blue glow, making the sky look more navy then inky black. Suddenly, a tiny, bright light shot across the ceiling – a shooting star! But who believes in those anymore? Well, she, Lily, could do magic – hadn't she thought that as surreal once? She closed her eyes tight and mouthed words untraceably quickly.

Several feet away from her, James laid in his sleeping, tossing and turning, grumbling and moaning, unable to get to sleep. 'I know I rejected you this morning, Sleep,' he whispered, 'but I want you back now. _Please_?' He turned over again before huffily saying, 'Oh, _fine_.'

He was now staring at the ceiling, somewhat awestruck at the beautiful sight. Due to the star and skylight, James was able to see all the peaceful faces as they snoozed away, drifting into dreams … which he was slipping into …

What was that? A shooting star? Only someone as imaginative as Professor Trance, the Divination teacher, or maybe Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department would believe in such unrealism. Yet he found himself closing his eyes and muttering something inaudible under his breath.

He turned back in his sleep and closed his eyes immediately, smiling and thinking of only one name. That one name. Charlus Potter.

*.*.*

It was the end of another week. In the Muggle World, Sundays were days of peace, tranquillity, rest. In the Wizarding World, Sundays were chaotic. Besides the fact that all left out homework was to be completed on that day, teachers and students alike wanted to use up their free time wisely: Slughorn and Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper, could be caught sneaking out of school after lunch, probably for a drink in the local bar, The Hog's Head. Professors Trance and Sinistra were normally up in the Astronomy Tower, peeking through telescopes and making their horoscopes.

'Sad people,' Sirius said, shaking his head and flopping over on the grass underneath the tree's large shade. 'Sad, sad people. Haven't they got anything else better to do?'

'Sirius,' said James tonelessly, 'they're _teachers_. What did you expect?'

Sirius roared with laughter. 'Good point, Prongs.'

'They still have lives,' Vanessa frowned. 'Right, Lils?'

'Mm,' she replied vaguely. Lily was peeved off by Vanessa for dragging her over to the Marauders.

'Whatever,' said Sirius disinterestedly.

'Don't you "whatever" me,' Vanessa challenged, feigning shock.

'I just did,' he whispered. 'What are you gonna do?'

'Oh, you wanna know what _I'm_ gonna do?' Vanessa spluttered. 'Well, I'm going to – to –'

'Stutter at him?' James asked her, trying to be helpful. He caught Lily's eye and rolled his eyes at the besotted couple.

Lily smiled humourlessly and nodded.

'No, I'm going to – to – I'm going to –'

'Go,' Lily said suddenly, improvising. 'We're going to go. James and I have a meeting.'

'I thought we said after lunch,' said James stupidly.

Lily closed her eyes and sighed at his stupidity. 'Yeah,' she said, reopening her eyes, 'we've got to have lunch, like, _now_. Come _on_, James, let's go. Idiot,' she added under her breath.

'Brilliant!' Aaliyah said ecstatically. 'I'm coming along with you two! Good old threesome fun, you know …' she trailed off upon catching the bored look on Lily's face.

'Well, if you three are going, I might as well,' Remus said enthusiastically, leaping up immediately and closing the heavy hardback in his hands.

'P – p – p – please, don't leave me with them,' Peter squealed, running after them. 'Come baaaack!'

'Aww, they're so sweet,' said Vanessa, 'they wanted to give us some alone time.'

'I can never get enough of that,' Sirius grinned, leaning further towards her.

*.*.*

'Thank _Merlin_ for Lily,' Aaliyah almost shouted in relief as they entered the Great Hall, which had the long house tables back again.

'Thank Merlin for distractions,' said Lily gratefully.

'Thank Merlin for –' Peter piped up.

'OKAY,' said Aaliyah pointedly, 'we get it, Pete. Wow, I wouldn't be able to stand another _minute_ of "You're so beautiful!" "But you look the best out of us two," "I love you, baby," "I love you more," "Oh, no, you don't! Mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah m–'"

'OKAY,' said Peter, uncharacteristically loudly, 'we get it.'

'Shut up, Peter,' said Aaliyah.

'Well,' he muttered under his breath, 'someone's hungry.'

'No, someone's annoyed,' Aaliyah corrected. 'Just _listen_ to them two going at each other all along. I don't know which one's worse – the mushy, soppy, boring Vanessa or the bitter, resentful, fun Vanessa! And Sirius! The school's most famous ex-hottie –'

'Is still the school's most famous hottie,' James finished nonchalantly, picking up a sandwich.

'No,' said Aaliyah blankly. 'A boy loses his hottie status when he gets in a relationship.

'Huh?' James said quickly as Peter began laughing. Remus, however, frowned, looking ashamed. 'No way,' James said. 'He's still got the rebel rep. He's still real immature. He laughed when Remus said "that we _do do_ our work" the other day. I don't he's ready for a long relationship.'

Aaliyah and Lily gasped.

'There's nothing wrong with that,' said James quickly.

'No, but Vanessa's taking it seriously,' said Lily disbelievingly, her pasta hanging in mid-air. 'Imagine how she'll feel when Black runs off with … with … Pelly Parkinson or one of her clones!'

'Okay, I know Sirius is a little odd,' James started, half choking on a crust, 'but he wouldn't ever date a Slytherin.'

'You did,' said Lily acidly. 'I've not got anything against Slytherins, but don't _you_ despise them? So why did you date one?'

'Why do you care who I date?' he asked defensively.

'I don't,' she said coldly. 'But if you can go out with a Slytherin, so can Black.'

'Alright, point proven,' said Remus clearly, breaking up the narrowed-eye contest between Lily and James. 'You two had better get going. You don't know how long this meeting will take.'

Unwillingly, they both stood up and silently made their way upstairs, all the way to the top floor where the Prefects' and Heads' room was located.

'Discipline,' said Lily clearly to a wall, which slid open and revealed a cosy, ornate room.

Although it was quite petite, Lily fell for it immediately. The stone walls were covered with a light red tapestry, decorated with golden vines etched into it. This contrasted the tickly maroon rug somewhat. The fireplace was already alight, making the room glow. There were no windows, but still plenty of lights; the torch brackets did their job well. Lily longed to fall asleep on the sofa, but James had walked over to a mahogany table near the back of the room.

She trailed after him reluctantly and mumbled a 'thanks' when he pulled out a chair and waited for her to sit before sitting down himself.

'No problem,' he muttered. 'Anyway, where do we start? Dumbledore said we can make plans on some sort of a fundraising event if we don't know what else to do. Any ideas?'

Lily pondered for a moment.

'Anything?' he prompted. 'Something that everyone will like?'

'Well … I've got _one_ idea, but I'm not sure if "everyone" will like it,' she said hesitantly.

'Go on …'

'A Hallowe'en Dance,' she said simply. 'We've never had a dance, and Hallowe'en is only a few weeks away, so we've got plenty of time to plan. Plus, it'll be fun dressing up and it's not about looking pretty or anything, so _some_ girls,' _Vanessa_, Lily mentally corrected, 'won't have to panic.'

'Great idea,' said James mildly. 'I doubt anyone will want to dress up, though. Besides first-years, I mean.'

'We can encourage them,' smiled Lily, staring into space now. 'I don't know; say … we can have a Hallowe'en Prince and Princess for fifth-years and above and … something like fifty house points for the winner with the best outfit for the other years. Second place can have twenty-five points and third place twenty points.'

'Sounds good to me,' James agreed, although he had hardly caught a word she was saying. Were her eyes always that beautiful, mystical, entrancing? 'We should propose that idea to Dumbledore.'

'Okay,' she said plainly, still smiling and standing up. 'But you're going to do the talking.'

'What? Why me?'

'I get shy.'

'_Lily Evans_? _Shy_? Nuh-uh. I've never seen you shy. Where're you going?'

'Well, I'm shy with Dumbledore. We're going to see him now.'

'Why now? Why not later?'

'The sooner the better.'

'Okay,' he shrugged.

Despite being so close to Dumbledore's office, Lily was so enthusiastic she ran, leaving James to follow her.

'Wait up,' he called, making sure the brick wall slid shut behind him.

'Come on, James,' Lily called back, giggling frivolously.

'Fudge flies,' said James confidently, panting slightly as he caught up with Lily.

Nothing happened.

'Fudge flies,' he repeated. 'F-u-d-g-e f-l-i-e-s.'

The gargoyle wouldn't move.

'Fizzing Whizbees …?' Lily said lightly.

Nothing happened.

'How can he have changed his password already?' James said, frustrated.

'Don't worry,' she said soothingly. 'It'll be fun trying to guess. Let's go in alphabetical order, Z-A.'

'Why not A-Z?' he asked, stumped.

She shrugged. 'I dunno. I've just got a feeling about going backwards. Z-A.'

'A-Z.'

'Z-A,' Lily retorted.

'A-Z, end of' he said flatly.

'Z-A, end of, white rabbit.'

'A-Z, end of, snowy owl.'

She sighed, seeing this was pointless. 'Fine. Whatever. Sweets' names from A-Z, then. Acid pops,' she started. 'Okay … Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans? No, wait, he doesn't like them …'

'Blood-flavoured lollipops,' James suggested when the gargoyle remained remote.

'Ew, no way,' Lily giggled. 'They're for vampires. Erm … Canary Cream.'

'Chocoballs.'

'Chocolate, chocolate?' Lily said vaguely.

'Cockroach Clusters!' James said suddenly.

'As if,' Lily said, shaking her head. 'Drooble's Best Glowing Gum?'

'Apparently not,' said James, annoyed still. 'Exploding Bon Bons?'

'James, get real,' Lily said.

'As if you can do any better,' James retorted, grinning.

'Okay, let's see … E … no, F? No. A, b, c, d, e, f, g –'

'You need to recite the alphabet?' James smirked.

'It helps, okay?' said Lily defensively. 'I … Ice Mice?'

'Jelly –'

'_Don't_ say Jelly Slugs. Erm … Liquorice Wands?

James was slowly beginning to lose hope. What if Dumbledore's password wasn't after a sweet? 'Peppermint Toads?'

'You missed out Pepper Imps.'

'Sugar Quills?' There went James's last hope. He slumped against the wall and sighed in defeat.

'Tooth-flossing Stringmints …?' Lily continued. 'Cauldron cakes? We missed that and Pumpkin Pasties. No?' She turned to look at James pitifully.

'What's up?' she asked.

'I'll tell you what's not up – the password.'

'No, silly, that parchment stuck on the wall above your head,' she murmured. She strode over to where James was, and tried reading the parchment at the same time James tried getting up. 'James, stand still. Look at this, it's like a riddle … and it's in Dumbledore's handwriting, listen:

_Upon entrance, one will spot  
The code has been changed in a jot.  
It's of a man, "free", who has lost  
A loved one at a huge cost.  
His companion be supportive and moving  
As well as being so soothing  
For as he tries to guess this code,  
She is there, giving him hope.  
Oh, what a twosome they would make  
If they put their pride at stake._

'What the …' Lily trailed off, lost. 'We can do this,' she said positively, shaking her head. 'Get up, James.' She moved out of the way so he could stand up straight again.

'Right,' he said in a business-like manner, 'the first two lines are obviously referring to the password change …'

'What about the next two lines?' Lily questioned. 'I mean, "free"? What's that supposed to mean? A man … who's free …'

'Lost a loved one …?' James mumbled.

'Wait, maybe … does "James" mean "free" by any chance?' she asked him suddenly.

'Erm,' he said, confused, 'no, but Charlus does. Charles for short. My middle name after my father.'

'Exactly,' she whispered, clicking her fingers.

'Exactly what?' he asked, now completely lost.

'If the meaning of Charles is _free, _then this must be about him or something,' she breathed, overjoyed. 'But why would his password be about your father?'

James made his glasses sit on the bridge of his nose as he re-examined the riddle. 'It's me,' he said finally.

'Lost a loved one at a huge cost?' Lily asked, giving James a strange look.

He sighed and leaned against the wall again, staring at his feet. 'Yeah … over the summer, my … I've kind of … well, my father … he sort of caught dragon pox … and we couldn't really be with him much as it's really contagious, so we were to keep away from him and … well, I thought he'd get better … nothing like this has ever happened to me before …'

'Oh, James,' Lily whispered. Without thinking, she embraced him tightly and found protective arms hugging her back and warm hands softly stroking her hair. 'I'm so sorry! I didn't know. How's your mum?

'It's okay,' he sniffed, still stroking her hair. 'She's … well, she's gone to stay with her sister, but I think she's coping … I hope she's coping.'

'James, I am _so_ sorry … you can't imagine the remorse I feel.'

'You didn't know,' he reminded her, breaking the hug unwillingly. 'Anyway, let's get a move on.'

'Right,' said Lily. 'A companion supportive and moving … your mother?'

'Yeah, but it says here, "for as he tries to guess this code, she is there, giving him hope", so it has to be you.'

'But the next bit says, "Oh, what a twosome they would make, if they put their pride at stake". Oh, wait, I'm giving you hope now, am I?' she added, grinning.

'That sounds like Dumbledore,' said James grimly, shaking his head and ignoring the last part of what Lily had said. 'So the password has got to be James and Lily. Go us!'

But his enthusiasm faded as he said, 'James and Lily,' to the gargoyle. 'Lily and James? James Potter and Lily Evans. Lily Evans and James Potter. Oh, _come on_.'

Lily was still scrutinising the parchment on the wall, as if she couldn't get enough of it.

She then paced over to the gargoyle and boldly said, 'James and Lily Potter. Lily and James Potter?' The gargoyle came to life! Finally. 'Wait, which was it …?'

'Doesn't matter, come on,' he said hurriedly, taking her hand and pulling her up the stairs.

He tried smoothing down his hair when Lily knocked on the door.

'Come in,' Dumbledore said.

Lily opened the door excitedly and said, 'Professor, we have an idea!'

'Well done,' he beamed, his eyes twinkling. He gestured to the seats in front of his desk. 'I knew you could solve the riddle. Now, what is this idea of yours about?'

'The fundraiser,' said James. 'Lily's come up with the idea of a Hallowe'en Dance and … she'd like to take it from here.' No need to mention he hadn't been listening to her when she explained it.

'James, you're too modest. You were my inspiration. I thought of you, nightmare and Hallowe'en. Kidding!' she exclaimed after looking at his face. 'Okay,' Lily began, and she enthusiastically launched into a detailed explanation of her vision.

Dumbledore was patient, nodding and smiling every now and then, but Lily and James didn't like the expression of deep concentration on his face.

'On one condition,' he said clearly when Lily had finished.

James's heart sank; he knew that whatever it was, it wasn't going to be nice for them. 'Yes, Professor?' he said weakly.

'The two of you must start the dance.'

Those words did it. James groaned internally, knowing it'd be rude to groan out loud. He would like to dance with her … but she wouldn't.

'Okay,' said Lily easily. 'It's a deal. Oh, one thing I missed … the school has to fund for everything besides costumes.'

'Very well,' sighed Dumbledore.

'Great,' Lily beamed. 'Thank you, Professor Dumbledore.'

Both beaming, Lily and James left the room, unable to believe their luck.

'What happened to being shy around Dumbledore?' James asked her on their way down.

'I sounded confident?' Lily asked. 'Great! Because I really didn't feel it. Did I sound like an idiot, prattling on?'

'Nah. You sounded great to me.'

'Thanks,' she smiled.

She put an arm around her shoulder and he did around her waist. They walked off like that, cracking jokes and ignoring stares. It was the first time James had wholly and truly felt good since that event over the summer … or since she had first rejected him.

* * *

Sunday 4th September 1977

**A/N: When I first wrote this, I didn't realise school dances where clichés. Sorry :/ I thought it was original.**


	7. Never Let You Go

- Chapter Seven -

~ Never Let You Go ~

'So, Aaliyah …' said Remus awkwardly. 'Where do you want to go? We've been trailing around for quite a while now …'

They were aimlessly strolling along the fifth floor corridor, having had their lunch and not knowing where to go. The weather was absolutely beautiful – neither was it too hot, nor too cold. It was, however, extremely dull with a certain couple going on at each other.

'Anywhere but outside,' said Aaliyah imploringly. 'I'd love to go _anywhere_ besides where Sirius and Vanessa are.'

'They might have calmed down a little bit,' said Remus fairly. 'It's not like Sirius to be all like this. He's still highly immature.'

'No, it's just that …' said Aaliyah uncomfortably, '… I just won't be able to look at Sirius in the same way now.'

'I will,' Peter piped, somewhat smugly. 'I know Sirius, I know he can't change. Watch, he'll tell her he loves her. Then he'll realise he can commit. He'll ditch Gills and break her heart. Just you wait.'

'Shut up, Peter,' said Aaliyah shortly, trying to rid her mind of a mental image of Vanessa crying. 'Thanks for that thought. Oh, gosh, they're probably going to Hogsmeade together this weekend …'

Remus stared at his friend disbelievingly at the same time as jumping over a trick stair. 'What?' said Peter quietly. 'The truth is the truth. It's unchangeable. I mean, have you ever _heard_ Professor Trance's predictions? So accurate! She predicted that I would be late for her next lesson _and_ I'd forget my textbook.'

Aaliyah snorted. 'It doesn't take a genius to predict that. I probably could and I _hate_ Divination. Never liked the teacher or the subject.'

'Me neither,' said Remus happily. 'I mean, the teacher was okay, but the subject was so woolly. I'm amazed you took it, Wormtail.' Remus did a strange sort of salute to Peter.

'I need _someone_ to have my back,' Peter mumbled.

'So, Aaliyah …' Remus repeated. 'What's your favourite colour?' he asked randomly.

She was somewhat thrown back by the sudden question. 'Er … erm … green. Why?'

'My favourite colour's yellow,' said Peter enthusiastically.

'Oh, really,' said Remus disinterestedly. 'Because I didn't know that before …'

'What's yours, Remus?' Aaliyah asked kindly.

'Yellow,' Peter said again. 'My favourite colour's yellow.'

'_Remus_,' Aaliyah repeated.

'Orange,' Remus said pleasantly.

'No way,' Aaliyah said, grinning widely. 'I can't stand orange.'

'I can't stand green,' Remus laughed.

'I can stand yellow!' Peter squealed.

Remus rolled his eyes impatiently. 'Oh, go away, Peter.'

But Peter was persistent. 'No,' he squeaked adamantly. 'I've got no one else to go with. James has Lily, Sirius has Gills … and I've got no one.'

Remus merely stared at Peter in an are-you-done-now way. 'Pete, that guilt thing can't work with me again. Go on and socialise, make new friends. Hey, you might even find a girl you like, like the rest of us.'

'Huh?' Aaliyah said, rounding on Remus, her heart sinking ever so slightly. 'Who's this girl now?' she asked interestedly, recomposing herself.

'Erm, er … well, she's my …' Remus trailed off. 'We've … well, I've … there's … you know how … you know when … well –'

'Answer the question already!' Aaliyah laughed. She was good at not letting fear and dread drown her voice.

'Hey, look!' Remus said suddenly, pointing past Aaliyah. 'Those two are looking cosy,' he grinned, staring at Lily and James.

Aaliyah's jaw dropped almost instantly – she hadn't ever seen the two literally close together and not arguing and _actually_ smiling and laughing. Remus, however, was glad to have come across a huge distraction.

'What's the matter?' Lily asked Aaliyah when she and James stopped by them. 'You look like you've seen a ghost,' she laughed. 'Well, spit it out. What's up?'

'N – no, it's just,' Aaliyah stammered, 'y-you two! Laughing! Together! Close contact!'

'I know, right,' Lily beamed.

'What's _wrong_ with you?'

Lily's beam was replaced with a smirk. 'I don't actually know,' she answered truthfully. She shook herself, released James and said to the other three, 'Oh, have we got news for you! We've come up with an idea –'

'Lily's idea,' James corrected.

'Don't be so modest, James, we both came up with it,' Lily retorted, ignoring Aaliyah, shocked, miming the words "don't be so modest, James". 'Anyway, _we_ asked Dumbledore if, for a fundraising event, we could hold a Hallowe'en Dance ….' The conversation led them to wander even more around the school, in and out of random classrooms, twice around the hall, around the shelves in the library (Madam Pince wasn't too pleased with their chatter) and out on the fields by the lake.

'Oh, no,' Aaliyah squeaked, hiding her face. 'Where are they? Are they around? Where?'

'It's okay, Aaliyah,' said Lily soothingly. 'They're … well … they look like they're having an argument. Not the usual gooey stuff.'

'Even worse!' Aaliyah squealed, still hiding her face.

'Come on, you,' Lily said easily, almost literally dragging Aaliyah; the rest of them followed cautiously, besides James who was in the lead.

'What's going on?' James asked, frowning from one to the other.

'_Him_,' Vanessa half-shrieked. '_Now_ he wants to break up with me! _Now_! And _all_ because – because –'

'He can't commit?' Peter suggested timidly.

'_Yes_!'

A few angry tears spilled from Vanessa's eyes as she turned her back to him; one fell in the lake with a loud _drip_.

'Vanessa,' said Sirius quietly, reaching out for her, 'it's not my fault you took me seriously. I never told you to.' He cautiously rested a hand on her shoulder, making her flame back immediately.

'Don't you _dare_ touch me, Sirius Black,' she said furiously. 'You've said it. We're through. I'm no longer all up for you.'

'That rhymed!' Peter gasped. Six incredulous eyes questioned his tact and sanity. 'Sorry … I'll be quiet …'

'Do you guys mind?' said Vanessa pointedly to her friends. They left to stand by their favourite mahogany tree shame-facedly, far enough to not be able to hear. Vanessa gulped, quivered and said, 'I'm not saying I don't love you. I'm just saying I'm mad at you.'

'Why?' Sirius laughed. 'We're still young, we've got plenty of time to find someone we like …' He grinned at James.

'Sirius,' she snapped. 'Attention!' She breathed in and out deeply before continuing. 'Yeah, but I've honestly never met someone I like as much as you. You know my dating history's longer than Lily's Potions essay –' Sirius couldn't help but laugh, '– but I didn't like _any_ of them as much as I love you. I'm not forcing you to come back; I just want you to know I'll never let you go.' Another tear slid easily down her cheek before she turned and walked away.

Seeing she was leaving, Lily made to catch up with her. 'Aaliyah, you stay here,' she said softly. 'I've got Nessa.'

Aaliyah didn't argue back, but she looked as though she wanted to, watching Lily tear it after Vanessa.

It took hours for Vanessa to stop crying and talk properly. She had to take refuge in the library as there was nowhere else for the Gryffindors to go.

But Lily just couldn't play God, being required to be everywhere at once. When she couldn't be with Vanessa, she had to see to James, as she still felt bad for her appalling behaviour before.

'It's okay, Lily,' he assured her. 'Vanessa's needs are greater than mine.'

'I beg to differ. I can't leave _you_ with _Peter_.'

'Hey, what's wrong with me?' Peter squealed, greatly offended.

'I'm just messing with you, Pete,' Lily laughed. 'Aww look at that,' she whispered, pointing to Aaliyah and Remus who were stood several feet away from them. Their eyes were locked on each other's, a cute grin worn on both of their faces. 'We should leave them …'

'Remus and Aaliyah?' James broke off laughing. 'I can't see it. Maybe when Flobberworms fly,' he smirked.

'Yeah, but look at them,' Lily said encouragingly. 'They both dislike sports to an extent, they love reading, do well in classes, they've got similar personality traits … I'm telling you, it's a match made in heaven!'

'Right, Lils,' James said, rolling his eyes. 'You've been reading too many romance books.'

'Actually, I stopped reading them ages ago.' She was staring into space again, her grin fading. James didn't like it when she was like this.

'Why?' he asked curiously.

'I sort of … I kind of, well, lost faith in guys, I guess …'

'You?' James scoffed. 'You? Little innocent Lily Evans? Faithless?'

'Hey, I'm older than you, don't forget,' Lily pointed out, smiling again.

'Yeah, but a month and a bit … wait, don't change the subject. How come?'

'It's just been a while since I've met a guy who's been real with me,' she said vaguely. 'Every boy feels so fake, like they're just in it for the chase. Plus, there're so many other books to be read … which I'll get round to reading someday …'

'Why not soon?' James asked relentlessly.

'Things to do …' she said absent-mindedly. 'Exams … friends …'

'So?' James challenged. 'You live too much for other people, I think it's time you start thinking about yourself – what _you_ want. You don't have enough fun and you should. You only live once. When you're old and grey, sitting on a rocking chair on your front porch surrounded by many grandkids, you're going to have to have interesting stories to tell, not ones where you play heroin for people who can help themselves.'

'Well said,' Lily smiled. 'I've never heard you give a touching speech before. It's different. A change. A nice one.'

'Well … everything happens for the good,' he said.

Lily wanted to say something back, but an unfamiliar voice softly called, 'James? James Potter?'

Peter, Lily and James turned around to find a stunning witch in Ravenclaw, younger than them, probably in sixth-year. She certainly was gorgeous, with her dark, long hair and deep, mystical eyes. She also perceived a charming, shy aura and wore a cute smile. She didn't seem flirty, but it was clear, from her tone, why she had approached them.

'You're single, aren't you …?' she asked, smiling radiantly.

'Yeah,' he said slowly. 'Why?'

She began fiddling timidly with her hair, twisting it and curling it. 'Well … I was just wondering if … you might like to, well, go out with me.'

'Sure,' James said immediately, without thinking. 'I'd love to, Ashley! When?'

'James,' said Lily pointedly, giving him a you're-being-really-tactless. She leaned in to whisper: 'She's obviously timid; you arrange a place, date and time.'

'Oh, right, okay,' he said quickly. He turned back to the stunning girl and said, 'How about … we meet in the Entrance Hall this Saturday at eleven?'

'Cool,' she said easily. 'What're we going to do?'

'Well, there's a Hogsmeade trip,' he said thoughtfully. 'And I can never get enough of Zonko's,' he added with grinning. Lily and Peter laughed.

'Sounds good to me,' Ashley said pleasantly. 'I'll see you there.'

'Cool,' smiled James.

'Oh, Lily, there's something I needed to talk to you about,' said Ashley suddenly. 'A private word?'

'Sure,' Lily smiled. She followed Ashley a few feet away from where they were standing. Peter and James were already engrossed in a conversation.

'So … it seems like you and James are friends now,' said Ashley sweetly.

'Yeah …' Lily said thoughtfully. 'You can call it that I _guess_.'

'Really?' Ashley's eyebrows were raised and her smile had vanished, quickly replaced with a frown.

'Yes …' Lily said slowly. 'Why?'

'It's just that _I _want him all to myself, and everyone knows he's had a thing for you before.'

'Okay …' Lily said slower still. 'I don't want him, anyway. You can have him all you like. I just feel sorry for his loss and I think he's different.'

'What loss?' Ashley snapped.

'His father …'

'Oh, right. Well, I can handle that, thanks. He doesn't need your sympathy.'

Lily was still somewhat taken aback by the devil in disguise, but, throat too tight to speak, she just nodded and sloped off quickly and gracefully. 'Wow, she's a keeper, James. Really. Don't let her go.'

'Okay,' said James cheerfully. 'C'mon, let's go. See you, Ashley!'

'Bye, James,' she called back.

Lily's heart was slowly sinking. She knew something he didn't, but she had to let it go. Ashley was just insecure. Yes, that was it. She didn't want James to be taken away from he actually had her.

Their wandering around had wasted almost the entire day. Lily was keen to go to sleep, but where? The Great Hall was getting ready for dinner. Despite all of the strolls outdoors and in, none of them had really noticed the sun slowly setting and the moon, a little smaller than full and bigger than a waxing gibbous, poking up, accompanied by stars.

'Where're Aaliyah and Remus?' Lily asked suddenly when she, James and Peter had reached the Great Hall. The wafting smell of delicious food wasn't enough to distract any of them. 'And Vanessa and Sirius. Oh, gosh, how could I leave them?'

'More like how could they leave you,' James grinned, pointing to the once-lost who were sitting on the Gryffindor table. Sirius was sat with Remus, and the two appeared to be distant from Aaliyah and Vanessa, although Remus threw a smile to Aaliyah every now and then.

Aaliyah and Remus were already absorbed in conversation. They had moved off of the basic small talk and began talking about wider situations, from the classic 'Would You Rather …' to 'If this happened, what'd you do?'. Lily found it a cute sight; they had their heads quite close together and their eyes locked again.

Not knowing which group to sit with, Lily sat in between them with James. Dinner drove sleep straight out of her mind; James was a lot of fun to eat with.

'How many Voldemorts does it take to light up a wand?' James asked Lily.

She wasn't surprised he'd said the Dark Lord's name. James was quite a courageous person. 'I don't know. Tell me.'

'Two – one to light up the wand, another to kill him and take the credit.'

She burst out laughing.

'Wait, I've got one,' Sirius said suddenly. 'How many Marauders does it take to light up a wand? One, but someone would have to do Wormtail's.'

This time, everyone burst out laughing besides Peter and Vanessa.

'How many Slytherins does it take to light up a wand?' James asked, smiling broadly.

'Them? Light a wand? Ha! Okay, let's be serious now,' Aaliyah said to more laughter. 'Wait, I've got one. How many Ravenclaws does it take? Twenty-three Ravenclaws: five running around the library to find the quickest, most effective manner; seven to practice the spell to make sure that it's safe and it works; three to inform the professors of what they're doing so they can get the credit; four to contemplate over whose wand has the best core material for performing this spell; one to stand by with a fire extinguisher just in case; one to actually light the wand and one more to point out how I miscounted the number of Ravenclaws ... those clever Ravenclaws!'

There was even more laughter, and smug smiles from nearby Ravenclaws.

'How many Gryffindors does it take?' Remus began. No one answered. 'None. A Gryffindor? Scared of the dark?'

Their roars of laughter brought even non-Gryffindors gathering around them.

'I've got another,' James said loudly. 'How many Slytherins does it take to light a wand? None, they'd get a Hufflepuff to do it for them!'

Even one or two Slytherins laughed at the honesty in that joke. Their dinner continued like that – joke, laugh, joke, laugh, joke and laugh.

'Where did you get all of them jokes from?' Lily asked James later when the long house tables were gone and the squashy, purple sleeping bags were back. 'They're hilarious!'

'Dad used to tell them to me,' James said, his grin fading extremely slowly.

Lily smiled sympathetically. 'You really miss him, don't you?'

'I'll never be able to let his memory go,' James sighed.

'Aww, James,' Lily said, still smiling. 'You're kind of sweet and funny. If you weren't taken, I'd totally go out with you.'

'Huh?' said James distractedly.

'What?' Sirius said, appearing from nowhere. 'Prongs, who's the new chick?'

'Ashley Campbell,' James muttered.

'In sixth-year? Man, she is _fine_. I mean, _wow_.'

'Shut up, Black,' Vanessa snapped. 'Girls aren't play things.'

Sirius seemed confused. 'I know. I didn't say they are.'

'You seem to suggest it, all right, player.'

'Hey, I'm not a sl –'

'OKAY, that's enough,' Lily intervened. 'It's finally time to go to bed. You're disturbing other people, so hush and let them sleep.' She spoke the truth. Everyone besides those seven had slipped into their sleeping bags and were beginning to get to sleep, ready for the school day ahead of them.

'No, go on, Black,' Vanessa said angrily. 'What am I? Hm?'

Sirius's tone and face matched Vanessa's. 'I said you're a sl –'

'Oh, for crying out loud, just _listen_ to you guys,' Lily hissed softly, but, due to the silence, they could catch her every word.

'That makes a lot of sense,' said Sirius sarcastically. 'You're softly hissing a cry out loud.' Only Peter laughed; Lily ignored both of them.

'You're letting everything and anything get to you,' she continued. 'We're all human, despite our differences in opinion, you can't deny that. Vanessa, whatever he thinks you are, it doesn't matter! The rest of us think differently! It's our differences which make us similar! Okay, so you're at the awkward post-break up phase, but couldn't you two _at least _stay away from each other if all you're going to do is argue?'

'You can hardly talk,' said Vanessa bitterly.

'Oh, yes I can,' she said easily. 'I've learnt from my mistake. And I wouldn't be able to let any of you guys go. I'd miss the little play fights with Sirius, heart-to-hearts with Remus … and like Dumbledore had said, if _anything_, heaven forbid, should happen to James, I _would_ actually miss him.'

James smiled. It wasn't his usual grin which made Lily smile automatically. It was more of an acknowledging smile which she returned.

'Tch, yeah,' Aaliyah said suddenly. 'And you don't mention your girls.'

'I didn't think I needed to,' Lily smiled fondly.

'You're the best,' Aaliyah smiled.

* * *

Sunday 4th September 1977


	8. Trials and Tribulations

- Chapter Eight -

~ Trials and Tribulations ~

It didn't really help Vanessa when the entire school was buzzing with the news of her break-up; her once-admirers began looking infuriatingly down at her and the boys were once again almost literally queued. Aaliyah was also somewhat mad at her, but she disguised it quite well. Vanessa's need was stronger than Aaliyah's annoyance.

Sirius, however, was back to his bright self, pranking, joking, laughing and irritating Snape whenever Lily wasn't around. He didn't appear to have a thought about Vanessa.

The half-upside was that they had their common room back. Their common room, not the girls' dormitories. Sirius was quick to gloat and the girls were quicker to retaliate.

'Only a few more days and we'll have _our_ dormitory back,' said Sarah Watson, a first-year to Sirius, who just burst out laughing and didn't bother arguing. He was too comfy, back in his old armchair in the common room.

'Wish we could give all of you girls our dormitory,' said James pensively.

'What?' Lily gasped. 'Merlin, James, you'd _do_ that? That's _so_ kind of you! Professor McGonagall!' Lily called to the Transfiguration teacher who, along with an unfamiliar health and safety inspector holding a clipboard, was examining the entire tower. 'Professor McGonagall, James Potter's offered to give up the whole of the boys' dormitories for us girls.'

McGonagall swiftly glided to where James was sat immediately. She scrutinised him from over her glasses, a mixture of shock and curiosity painted on her face. 'Really, Mr Potter? That is so very kind of you.'

'Oh, yeah, but – but – but -' James stammered, not knowing how to refuse now. He couldn't tell whether Lily was playing or not – she looked innocent.

That night, the Gryffindor boys either avoided or outright glared at James. The younger ones were sleeping in the common room, scattered across the floor and sofas and armchairs; the older ones were to sleep in the Great Hall once again. It felt like karma had come back around on Sirius – now it was the girls' turn to gloat and the boys' turn to go through the discomfort of sleeping on the floor.

Things were beginning to get harder on Lily. As the weeks went by, James held more Quidditch practices after choosing a few new entries on the team and was practically forced to go on more dates with Ashley Campbell, who proved to be clingier as dates flew by. He was taking this year more seriously than last year, because this was his last year. He knew it was unfair on Lily, having to do the Heads' duties by herself (mostly consisting of organising the Hallowe'en Dance and patrolling corridors late night), but there was nothing he could do besides apologise half a million times.

Aaliyah and Remus had it easier, yet not easy. Remus was beginning to revise for the summer exams already – he had drawn up a revision timetable. Aaliyah didn't like this one bit; her most frequently uttered retort was, 'The year's still young, and so are we! We've got time! Use it wisely or you'll regret it.' But Remus wouldn't hear of it, so the two found themselves talking to each other lesser and lesser every day, and Remus found himself spending more time in the library than anything. The distance grew wider and wider between, and the guilt mounted higher. Aaliyah was too shy to go trailing after Remus, but so was he.

Peter was probably the busiest, even more than Sirius and his pranks, Lily and her work, James and his Quidditch and Remus with his studies. What with all of the evening detentions, he struggled to keep up with the work set. Remus was a bit snappy with copying work off of others, so poor Peter found himself at Sirius's feet, almost literally begging for help in exchange for homework.

'Okay, today …' Sirius said thoughtfully, looking around the common room, 'I want you to … go tell that girl over there, _right_ there, that she's the most ug –'

'Padfoot, that's enough,' said James firmly, shaking his head. 'No more forfeits, Peter. Just copy off me, instead. Homework's not worth unpleasantness. And, mate, that's harsh, telling a girl that.'

'She told me I was,' said Sirius defensively.

'You know you're not,' said James tonelessly, staring at his best friend. How could SiriusOrionBlackneed reassuring of his looks?

'I need comforting every now and then,' he mumbled.

'You wouldn't if you still had Vanessa,' said Remus darkly, unwillingly peering up from his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_.

'There're plenty of girls like her littered around this place,' he mumbled.

Remus and James simultaneously rolled their eyes but didn't bother arguing.

The only part of life the Marauders truly loved any more was full moons, although Remus said he wouldn't mind life without. There was a full moon three weeks after the huge fire. It started off great – if only it ended that way.

'Sh, be quiet,' James whispered, looking left and right before they left the Hall. 'Sirius, check no one's watching us.'

'All good, Prongs,' he said easily, flicking his eyes across every sleeping figure.

'Okay,' said James in the same hushed voice.

He softly withdrew a material of some sort. It was strange to touch, like water woven into material. Soft, velvety, runny and solid it was.

'Under here, guys,' James whispered to Peter and Sirius; Remus was already out with Madam Pomfrey.

Although they were getting too tall for the Invisibility Cloak, they all crouched underneath it and made their way out, still aware of patrolling teachers and/or Lily, despite the two-second walk to the Entrance Hall and out of school.

Only Peter could do what he did next. As they were leaving, his elbow brushed against a dodgy pillar, holding a precariously perched brass goblet. It fell to the floor with a really loud_ clang!_

No one from the Great Hall came running to hear what the noise was about, but a call made them all freeze.

'Who goes there?' came a deep voice. Professor Darktoff.

'I'll investigate, Professor,' came a warmer, more supportive voice, which made James's heart beat again. Lily tip-toed to the Entrance Hall and looked around cautiously. 'James?' she whispered discreetly.

He would have laughed with relief, but he couldn't. 'How did you know?'

'It's full moon. James, take Sirius and Peter and go. It's Darktoff. Go! Quick! I'll hold him off.'

The three scurried away and Lily turned back around to report to Darktoff. 'There's no one here, Professor. A goblet just got tipped over, that's all.'

'But someone must have caused it to tip over,' Darktoff hissed.

'No, Professor,' said Lily clearly. 'It could have been the wind. Look, the main doors are open.'

'Let's close them now, shall we?' he said unpleasantly, wearing a foul grin. What was wrong with him?

Lily foresaw the Marauders not being able to get back in, but she didn't know quite what to do.

'Okay, that's your shift over,' said Darktoff darkly. 'Call Potter.'

But James's out_, _Lily thought desperately. 'Sir, he's extremely tired,' she improvised. 'He's been busy all week, you know, with Quidditch practices and homework on top of that. I don't mind covering.'

Darktoff shrugged. Whatever, as long as a Gryffindor was suffering.

Lily stayed up for a while, occasionally smiling at the sound of laughter or animal calls. Whenever it was quiet, however, she felt hollow and isolated.

*.*.*

'WOOOOOOOOO!' Padfoot shouted, feeling free at last. He shook back his shaggy hair and he barked some more, trying to jump up and down.

He wasn't alone, though. He was faithfully accompanied by the shimmering stag, with the same aura of serenity. There was nothing serene about the scene. The two, along with a terrorising werewolf and a squeaky, almost unnoticeable rat, were running among the school grounds, occasionally deciding to dip in the lake … or push someone in it; this was the main reason why Wormtail detested these outings – he can't swim as a rat. Sirius, of course, found this amusing.

Moony howled loudly, scratching and biting himself. Was he getting bored or hungry? Either way, they had to get a move on before someone came out to investigate. Darktoff would revel in their downfalls for sure.

Galloping or running, they made their way over to a large tree, stationary at first. The tree swayed as they approached, but went absolutely wild when they were a little over a metre away from its trunk. It tried swishing them out of the way with its branches, but the Animagi seemed to be experts at this – the rat touched a knot on the tree, and it stopped trying to injure them almost immediately.

The werewolf howled again.

Wormtail scuttled into the opening of the tunnel revealed, and Padfoot was about to proceed, but Moony howled again, louder and clearer. Prongs nudged him with his head twice, and Padfoot came over to help Moony in, but he howled again. And again. And again.

*.*.*

'Lily?' Aaliyah said lightly, huddling up against a flaming torch. 'How much longer are you going to be? James could take forever, for all you know.'

'As long as it takes for him to come,' said Lily simply. 'You go back up to bed.'

'I came down because you weren't there!' Aaliyah informed her, while hearing an animal howl in the distance. 'I'm not going back until you do.'

'D'you think it's worth calling James?' Lily said tiredly, stifling a yawn.

Aaliyah nodded her head, reluctantly rejected the flaming torch and held onto Lily's arm as they made their way out.

'Wait,' Lily whispered, stopping outside the doors. 'Do you know how to defend yourself against a werewolf?'

'No,' said Aaliyah blankly, blinking. 'I take it you do.'

'Just stick close to me,' Lily ordered, heading out again. She felt fearless, almost to the point of sheer recklessness.

The two trekked along the school fields, trying to find the source of the noise. The howl sounded again a few more times, giving them a chance to track down the source.

'This way,' Lily whispered confidently, making them change directions yet again. But this time, she was right. They could see blurred outlines of animal-like figures. 'Guys,' she hissed, 'keep it down. Darktoff's going to come out any time,' Lily continued, not getting any closer than five metres away. 'He's going to get all of you if you continue.'

Prongs made strange head gestures.

'James, he's a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher,' Lily reminded him, 'I think he'd be able to tell the difference between an Animagus and an animal.'

Prongs shook his head more wildly this time, first staring at his hoof and then over to the castle.

'I don't speak stag,' Lily groaned.

Prongs made the motion again, pointing to Lily and then to the castle. This made much more sense.

'Lils, I think he wants us to go,' Aaliyah said. 'Brr, it's_ freezing_!'

'Yeah, it's really cold out here,' Lily agreed fervently, turning around. 'That's our job done, let's go.'

Moony howled again,much louder than any other time that night. He growled and galloped forwards,directlyto Lily and Aaliyah. Quickly looking behind her shoulder, Lily saw Moony bounding towards them. Thinking fast, she pulled Aaliyah out of the way. Moony had landed right where Aaliyah was a moment ago. Aaliyah and Lily tried running, but Aaliyah stumbled and brought both of them down. Struggling to get up, they both cowered in fear as the beast slowly approached them. Was that drool hanging down from his mouth?

Lily suddenly jumped up, finding her face a foot away from Moony's. Aaliyah was still whimpering on the ground. She extended a hand to be picked up, but her hand was so sweaty and muddy and Lily couldn't hold onto it.

Moony howled again.

Aaliyah screamed and screamed. She finally grasped onto Lily's wrist and jumped up. They both began running and running and running. Aaliyah looked back to see why they weren't being followed.

The werewolf was being restrained by the large dog and stag; they appeared to be wrestling, the dog on his hind legs. The Animagi had brawn, but the werewolf had brain. Moony dodged and went around them to get at Lily and Aaliyah, who screamed and stood, rooted to the spot. Lily hadn't noticed her friend wasn't running alongside her. She reversed back to Aaliyah at the same time as Moony had jumped in the air. Without thinking, without being fully aware of what she was doing, Lily instinctively stood with her arms wide open, like a guard, in front of Aaliyah.

The werewolf landed with a_ thud _on the ground. He growled again and clawed Lily's arms and hands. She screamed in the pain of having her arms cut open. Whether this triggered Padfoot and Prongs to come down immediately, they didn't know.

Prongs pushed Lily out of the way, trying to protect her and Aaliyah, but the werewolf leapt over him and literally landed on Aaliyah. Without hesitation, he sunk his teeth into her neck.

A piercing scream echoed across the school grounds, and Aaliyah knew no more.

*.*.*

'Stop saying that,' said James firmly. 'It _wasn't_ your fault. Either of yours.'

It was a week after the accident. Bright sunlight was pouring into the Hospital Wing through the large windows. As the days were getting shorter, the sun was rising later, so it was the first time James had seen the beautiful sunrise in a very long time.

'James,' Lily cried guiltily, 'I basically brought her out there! If I hadn't wanted to shut all of you up, we wouldn't have needed to come out, so she wouldn't have gotten attacked! I'd give anything, _anything_, to have been in her place instead. I got off so easy ….' She was indicating to her elbow-length, gloved hands which were still in the healing process. They were quite grotesque, though, so she decided to keep them hidden.

'_Your_ fault?' Remus said, shocked. 'Were _you _the one who bit her? For all we know, she might become one of us. And she hadn't hurt anyone or anything. She was completely innocent. And even if she _does_ somehow _not_ become one of us, she'll be scarred physically _and_ mentally _for life_. How am I ever going to look her in the face again, knowing I did this to her? How am I going to face her father?' he added with an agitated groan, brushing a hand distractedly through his hair; Lily couldn't help but pity him.

'Lily, Remus, what's gotten into both of you?' James asked, half-shocked, half-irritated. 'Lily, you're normally the supportive one, making Remus more optimistic; Remus, you're … being Remus.'

'Thanks, James,' said Remus flatly. 'Thanks a lot.'

Lily analysed James, then Remus, then herself. James was right – Lily _was_ normally the sanguine one, and Remus was just the troubled boy in all of this.

'James's right,' Lily confessed to Remus. 'We've got to look at this optimistically. If, and I'm just saying _if_, Aaliyah does turn into a werewolf, oh well. She'll get used to it, and neither of you will be alone. Hm … I wonder if Nessa and I can and will become Animagi.'

'Illegally?' Sirius questioned, his tone a mixture of shock and admiration.

'No, you idiot,' Lily answered. 'Registered, of course. We're not like you guys.'

'No,' Remus said seriously, 'you girls don't have a werewolf on the team.'

'Stop differentiating between humans and werewolves,' said Lily exasperatedly. 'The only differences are that you transform once a month and you have random and unnoticeable werewolf characteristics.'

'If they're so "unnoticeable", then how did you notice them?' Remus asked darkly, sinking into the bed next to Aaliyah's.

'We've been through this before,' Lily reminded him. 'You're worrying way too much. _Don't_.' Her smile made him smile automatically.

'Come on,' James said softly. 'Let's all go and have breakfast, if not anything else.'

'Why're you here anyway?' Lily said curiously. 'Not that we don't want you here,' she added hastily. 'It just … I mean, Aaliyah …'

'Remus,' Sirius confirmed, still detesting how he was in the same room as his ex-girlfriend.

'You guys can go,' Vanessa croaked, speaking up for the first time that day. She had been sitting quietly staring at Aaliyah's peaceful face. 'I'm _faithfully _staying here with Aaliyah.'

Lily froze on her way out of the door. 'Aaliyah wouldn't want you to starve, you know. She'd be horrified with herself if you went hungry for her.' Her message hovered poignantly moments after she left the Hospital Wing with the Marauders, leaving Vanessa to watch Madam Pomfrey bustling over Aaliyah's still figure.

It was times like these when Vanessa wished she had done well in Divination, just so she could tell what Aaliyah's future would be like. She had gone to Professor Trance, but, as usual, a grim future was predicted. Nothing bad could happen to Aaliyah – she's innocent, young Aaliyah.

Knowing this, Vanessa smiled as she made her way down to breakfast, feeling that warmth glowing around her heart, the one Lily's optimism usually gave her. She was going to smile all she could now, before they all saw the outcome of Remus's bite … so much for hopefulness.

* * *

Saturday 1st October 1977


	9. War

**A/N: This chapter's in loving memory of Jodie Angelina Ashworth, who Aaliyah was partly based on. R.I.P., beautiful.**

* * *

- Chapter Nine -

~ War ~

Days later, Aaliyah regained consciousness, waking up somewhat confused in the Hospital Wing, only to find eager faces surrounding her, not that she wasn't liking the attention. It was good to be in the limelight for once, instead of Lily and Vanessa. She was normally shunned to one side for being the quietest girl.

No one besides the staff and those who were out on the night knew what had really happened to Aaliyah – the story was that she had been trekking in the Forbidden Forest late at night, and stumbled after hearing a strange hissing sound. In her moment of helplessness, a creature shot at her and bit her. The teachers, however, lacked knowing the role of the illegal Animagi, which greatly annoyed Sirius. ('All that work for no credit!' he joked.)

The story was all good and worked perfectly, but Aaliyah didn't. Her injury had invited germs of all sorts into her system, and she soon found herself literally weak, unable to speak or move without pain.

'It's only contaminated blood,' Madam Pomfrey had said airily, walking past the seventh-years with a large bundle of clean bed sheets.

'"Only contaminated blood"?' Lily repeated, horrified. 'That's horrible! If your blood's contaminated, your heart may not function properly! What if –?'

'Madam Pomfrey,' Aaliyah croaked, sounding alarmingly vulnerable, 'I don't feel too good.'

'Well, of course not, dear –'

'No, I mean I feel _really_ bad,' she continued. Her face slowly appeared to tinge green. 'My chest hurts, and my throat and arms and owwww …'

Madam Pomfrey immediately dumped the bed sheets on the nearest bed and glided to Aaliyah. She rested a hand on the poor girl's hot forehead. 'My, my,' she said, 'you have a high temperature. Well, you're extremely hot –' James had to nudge Sirius to stop him sniggering; Vanessa glared at him. '– have you had some water?'

'Yes, Madam Pomfrey,' Aaliyah croaked pitifully. 'I've had loads. I _really_ don't feel so good. Owwwww …'

'Madam Pomfrey, please admit her to St Mungo's,' Lily pleaded. 'She looks like she's going to _die_.'

'I feel it,' Aaliyah gasped.

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips, thinking hard. 'Yes,' she said at last. 'They will probably perform some sort of an operation on you –'

'_Operation_?' Aaliyah repeated, straining her voice.

'– but it'll be for the best I suppose.'

It felt like the whole school was watching as Aaliyah was taken away to St Mungo's. The attention was really beginning to get to her now. It was even worse with all the fussy Healers in the hospital, and it was just her … all alone.

*.*.*

'_Please_, Professor McGonagall,' Lily said imploringly.

She, James, McGonagall and Vanessa were in the Deputy's office, arguing out the pros and cons to Lily and Vanessa giving company to Aaliyah in St Mungo's.

'I'm Head Girl, I do okay in school and I've _never _asked you for anything,' Lily continued. 'I just want to go and see Aaliyah – she's probably scared out of her wits!'

'No, Miss Evans,' said McGonagall flatly. 'It's Wednesday, you have lessons to attend and this is your N.E.W.T. year; you simply cannot afford to miss a day off school.'

'I can catch up,' Lily said quickly. 'And Aaliyah's missing out –'

'– under circumstances beyond her control. No, Miss Evans.'

'Back me up, you two!' Lily said, rounding on the other two.

'Professor,' James said slowly in his deep, alluring voice, 'I don't see why Lily and Vanessa can't go. They both do really well in school and would probably be able to catch up on any work they miss. Besides, there are so many more things in this world more important than the things we learn about in this castle, like maintaining friendships and being brave. Aaliyah's been really brave; now it's Lily and Vanessa's turn to play their role as good friends. Please, Professor.'

For one wild moment, Lily and James swore they saw something sparking in McGonagall's eyes, almost like a _tear_, but they thought their minds were playing tricks on them a minute later as she used her business tone.

'Very well,' she said briskly. 'You may visit her every other day, including today, from twenty past three until six o'clock.'

'Thank you _so _much, Professor!' Lily gasped.

They left the Transfiguration teacher in her office, looking thoughtful, and half ran to the boys' dormitory to grab a scarf.

'Calm down,' said James cautiously. 'You'll get there in time.'

'Yeah, but no,' said Lily quickly, rummaging through her suitcase for her Gryffindor scarf. 'Oh, forget it. I'll go like this.'

'You can't go out wearing just your school uniform,' James frowned.

'I can't find my scarf,' she said simply, marching out of James' dormitory.

'Wait,' he half-shouted as the pair were leaving. He rifled through his wardrobe and extracted his soft, warm scarf. 'Take this instead,' he ordered.

'Thanks, James!' said Lily gratefully, smiling. She wasn't so grateful a second later when she wrapped it around her neck and found the scarf had his appealing scent attached to it.

'Oh, by the way, thanks for persuading McGonagall to let us go,' she said softly, smiling again. She gave him a huge, tight hug, and he returned the pressure with great enthusiasm.

'Any time,' he murmured.

*.*.*

Even after taking many Blood-Replenishing potions and having magical operations, Aaliyah wasn't better. There had been many enquiries as to what had bitten her, but they wouldn't believe her when she whispered, 'Werewolf'. But that was another point – she was so weak she could no longer talk properly, or even nod and shake her head to closed questions, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Lily and Vanessa, being Aaliyah's best friends, could see past her fake smiles, which caused pain as moving any muscles hurt. But Aaliyah wasn't giving up. She was confident she would get better in no time, despite her large and painful coughing fits which normally (and grotesquely) involved blood. But the loyalty her friends showed towards her gave her hope. Even Vanessa, who was extremely queasy, stuck around. Remus and the Marauders had visited a grand total of … once. But Aaliyah acted like she didn't mind, feigning as happy as a girl in hospital could get.

On weekday visits, Lily and Vanessa would be busy with homework, but weekend visits – though only one – would be non-stop chatter, and maybe a game of truth or dare or something similar.

Today, a Sunday, the topic was … _boys_.

'You know you like him!' Lily said, grinning.

'I'm over Si – Black,' Vanessa snapped, holding her head high. 'I don't even see what I saw in him, anyway. I was young and foolish.'

'Whatever,' said Lily tonelessly, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. 'What about you, Aaliyah?'

Aaliyah shook her head lightly, tapping her pillow back into place. When she was done, she gestured to Lily.

'Me first?' said Lily; Aaliyah nodded. 'Well, there's no one I really, really like. You know, I've kind of lost faith in all of this. Now you.'

Aaliyah hesitated, shyly looking down, an embarrassed and introverted smile unfurling on her pretty face. She shook her head vigorously … and gasped in pain a moment later.

'Tell us,' Lily encouraged, beaming. 'Come on! You've never hidden anything from us!'

Aaliyah pondered for a moment, until her shy smile reappeared. 'Remus,' she whispered.

'What?' Vanessa gasped, grinning.

'Remus … nice … kind … help me …'

'Aww,' Vanessa cooed, 'that's so kind of him to help you!'

Aaliyah shook her head again. 'No … help.'

'He _doesn't_ help you?'

'No … he help … me help …'

'_Huh_?'

'You … help me …'

'Well, yeah,' said Vanessa blankly, confused. 'We _do_ help you … we're your friends … this thing's really getting to your head, isn't it?'

Aaliyah shook her head lightly. 'I … need … help …'

Lily gasped and choked on her gasp straight away. She jumped from her seat and ran along the ward, brushing past several elderly witches and wizards. 'Sorry,' she called after her.

She almost skidded directly into the wall in the corridor, as she began searching for Aaliyah's carer.

'Healer Mary, Healer Mary,' Lily called. 'We need you! Aaliyah needs you! She's gone funny! As in weird! Come quick! Please!'

They had to fast walk all the way back to Aaliyah, whose bed sheets were ruby red and dripping … drip … drip … drip.

Aaliyah wasn't propped up against her pillow, any more. She was lying peacefully on her back, eye lids closed and lips slightly parted.

'Aaliyah!' Lily shouted.

Vanessa laughed. 'She's just playing.'

Aaliyah opened her eyes slightly and smiled weakly.

'Don't _do_ that,' Lily whispered, smiling slightly and clutching her heart.

The scene suddenly fuzzed out for Aaliyah. And focused again. And fuzzy again. What was going on? Another coughing fit came on and Aaliyah saw nothing, felt nothing, did nothing more … and was to see, feel or do nothing ever again.

'No,' said Lily darkly, disbelievingly. 'No.' She hurried over to Aaliyah's blooded wrists and felt for her pulse – the one that was neither in her neck nor her wrist. 'No, no, _no_! There were two possible outcomes! Werewolf or not werewolf! How – what – how – NO.'

'AALIYAH!' Vanessa screamed, her voice breaking slightly against the strain of her voice.

'Whoa, calm down!' James said suddenly, appearing from nowhere. 'We could hear you from down the corridor! What's up? Bad time to drop in? Remus really wanted to come and visit.'

'Aaliyah,' Lily murmured disbelievingly. 'Aaliyah …'

'Yeah, she's a mess,' Sirius said pointlessly. 'How can she sleep in that?'

'She … she … Aaliyah …' Lily continued. 'Aaliyah … she … Aaliyah … she …'

Remus felt his heart painfully pound against his chest as realisation dawned on him. 'NO!' he shouted. 'No, _no, NO_! HOW? NO!'

'Huh?' said Sirius, blinking.

James, however, ran forwards to catch a collapsing Vanessa. Sirius ignored those two completely, finally realising and contributing a minute's silence to Aaliyah's little mourning ceremony. Remus sank into the chair nearest to Aaliyah's bed, his heart sinking along. The Healer looked as though she was going to cry – her lower lip was trembling.

The scene appeared blurry to Lily. All she could make out was a quiet – for once – Sirius, a wailing Vanessa being comforted by James, solemn, Peter just sitting in the side-line and Remus crying, and crying … and crying.

'What … Remus?' Lily said.

'I … really … really, _really_ liked her,' he choked, hastily wiping tears. 'No, I really, really, _really_ loved her.'

All of the unexpressed grief Lily had felt for a moment was temporarily turned to anger. She tried glaring at him as she said, 'Why didn't you say so before? She really liked you! We were discussing you today! Why hadn't you said so before? Wh –?'

'That's enough, Lily,' said James sharply, leaving Vanessa for Remus. 'Moony, get a hold of yourself. Breathe in … and out … and in … and out.' The process continued until Remus gained control over himself again. He managed to remain calm as Sirius clapped a hand on his shoulder, but he looked as though another few minutes – or hours – of tears and tantrums would be beneficial.

*.*.*

It felt like Aaliyah had been the light of the school, silent but doing its work, its presence never fully appreciated. For the days following Aaliyah's death, the whole school seemed to be mournful and in misery, in grey rather than bright colours, for Gryffindors in particular.

The girls now had their rebuilt dormitories' tower back, but it meant absolutely nothing to Alice, Cassie, Lily and Vanessa without Aaliyah. It was just a series of empty rooms like any other. But then _school_ felt like an empty and meaningless building like any other.

It felt like the entire school knew about Remus's feelings of love … but not of guilt. He blamed himself, and only him, for Aaliyah's death. If only he was able to restrain himself as a werewolf …

'Don't be stupid,' said James angrily in the common room the one night. 'It's not your fault. Aaliyah's always had a weak immune system, we all know that.'

'I don't even know what an immune system _is_,' Sirius said, horrified by learning new vocabulary.

James silenced him with a "really-Sirius?" look and turned back to Remus. 'This just means she's starting a new adventure in a place we all know she'd rather be in. Don't be upset because she's no longer here – be happy because she was once! And she's left you with so many happy memories … ah.' He wiped a real happy tear from his eye just reminiscing. 'I mean, do you remember that time she went on holiday in Spain and …'

They could all see it as if it was yesterday.

_The Hogwarts express was slowly and gently rocking. An excited, younger Aaliyah White was excitedly waiting for her friends to ask her how her holidays were._

'_So, all in all, the only thing that brought my holiday down was Petunia,' Lily said lightly, shrugging._

_The compartment door slid open. Of course it was James and the Marauders, back again to see if James can actually _not _fail at impressing Lily._

'_Yes, Potter?' she said automatically._

'_Wow!' he gasped. 'So, you're accepting me, then?'_

'_No, I meant "yes" as in "you're annoying me, what do you want?"'_

'_Oh … well –'_

'_No, Potter,' she said tonelessly, not looking up from a _Standard Book of Spells – Grade Five_ which she had just withdrawn._

'_You don't know what he was gonna say,' said Sirius coolly._

'_Fine. What, Potter?'_

'_Will you go out with me?' he asked eagerly._

_Lily closed her eyes, smiling and slowly dropping her book. 'Oh, Potter, that _really_ changes my answer.'_

'_REALLY?' he asked, thrilled._

'_Yeah!' Lily smiled sarcastically. 'Instead of a simple and ineffective "no", it's now a "drop dead". Anyway, Aaliyah, you've obviously got something to say about your holiday. Go on, then. Tell us how it was in Spain.'_

'_I didn't go to Spain,' said Aaliyah blankly. 'I went to Madrid.'_

_Alice, Cassie, Lily, Vanessa and the Marauders all burst out laughing, while Aaliyah innocently blinked in confusion._

'_What?' she said timidly._

'_Madrid _is_ in Spain,' Alice giggled._

'Oh_!' Aaliyah gasped. 'That explains why everyone was speaking Spanish!'_

The sheer memory of Aaliyah's innocent funniness brought tears of laughter to the six's eyes, although Vanessa's tears could have been that of longing.

'I really will miss her,' Vanessa laughed through tears. 'When is her father coming?'

'He's already here,' Lily smiled sadly. 'James and I led him in – he's talking to Professor Dumbledore now.'

'Are you okay?' James asked her suddenly. 'I've not seen you cry _once_ yet.'

'Ah, bet you were really looking forward to that,' said Lily jokingly, her smile now crooked.

'I was,' he frowned. 'I've had my invisible camera out and everything.'

Lily giggled slightly and shook her head.

*.*.*

All lessons were suspended on the Tuesday, as all of the students in third year and above and Aaliyah's past and current teachers were to make their ways to Hogsmeade cemetery. For once, it wasn't raining, as it normally did in funerals. Instead, although the temperature was quite low, the sun was beating down on them and the wind was brushing away the golden autumn leaves off the stone pathway, making way for Aaliyah's midnight coffin. The year appeared to have died along with Aaliyah.

A herd of people succeeded the men carrying Aaliyah's coffin. There were Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall and Aaliyah's father, who Lily and James felt pity for – Mr White had now lost all of his family to werewolves. He was closely followed by the Head Boy and Girl. After them came a range of students varying from third- to seventh-year, although it was true that a handful of younger Gryffindors snuck in to bid farewell to their older friend. Professors Darktoff, Vector, Sprout and some of Aaliyah's other old teachers missed those students completely.

It was a small, tufty-haired wizard who supervised Aaliyah's funeral, murmuring words Aaliyah certainly wouldn't have known or allowed to be in her funeral. The thought of this made Lily giggle slightly; James stared quizzically at her, but she shook her head.

Here it came. The time when a close friend had to give a tiny speech about Aaliyah – her parents already had. Alice and Cassie had refused point-blank to stand up in front of hundreds of people for a dear friend, and Vanessa was too incapable. It was up to Lily, as usual.

Despite having no speech prepared, Lily stood up, seeming confident, and stepped up to the stand, scanning the entire crowd with a painful smile.

'Aaliyah Christina White,' she said into the magical megaphone. 'For all we know, there could be loads of girls with the same name as her, but never, _ever_ will you find a girl with a similar personality or appearance – no one can _ever _have the same charming smile, the same sense of humour or the same aura of serenity, and we all know that.

'She wouldn't want us to grieve or bereave, she'd want us to enjoy all the time _we_ have. Not to live in fear of, I don't know, going out at night. That's just not the way it goes. She can't be missed – she hasn't even left. Not properly. This will sound corny, but she _does_ live in our hearts, if we just shut out all noise and turn to her, she _will_ be found, I can guarantee it. I can practically feel her smiling down on us, already!

'Wipe your tears and give her a huge round of applause for her bravery.' Her smile widened as she stared at all of the people standing up and applauding, although she wasn't.

Lily left the stand and sat back down next to James, who patted her on the back and told her she did a wonderful job.

She continued feeling faithfully optimistic and lightly happy, even as she watched the remains of her dear friend getting lowered into a hollow grave. Of course some of that support could've come from James, who was gripping her hand every now and then … "support" she called it.

Well, that "support" left her barely minutes after the ending of the funeral, thanks to Queen Brat.

'James, where have you _been_?' she squeaked in a sugar-sweet voice. 'I needed you! That was so sad, that funeral … you're supposed to help me through this! Poor Aaralyn.'

'Her name is Aaliyah,' said James through gritted teeth.

'Ah, well, at least I got the first letter right,' she said carelessly.

'You got the first _two_ letters right,' Lily pointed out, disliking this conversation as much as James. She fell back a bit to walk with Vanessa instead.

'What's up with _her_?' Ashley asked.

'I wonder,' said James sarcastically.

'Rhetorical question,' said Ashley quickly. 'So … are you up for a date on Saturday?'

'After all of this?' James asked her incredulously. 'No way! Gryffindors need me.'

'I need you more!' Ashley argued.

'Ash –'

'You only care about that stupid Lily Evans!' she said vehemently, stopping. Eyes were beginning to turn to them, some people were even stopping to listen in on the It couple. 'Seriously, where do I come in your list of priorities, if I'm there at all?'

'Lily and Vanessa are Aaliyah's best friends!' he shot back in the same tone. 'I _think_ their needs might _just _be greater than yours.'

James was absolutely horrified when he saw tears suddenly spilling down her cheeks.

'Ssh,' he whispered, feeling extremely embarrassed; this might've had something to do with Lily, the girls and the Marauders stopping by to watch them now. 'Look –'

'You know what?' she squeaked. 'I'm done here. I don't know why I'm running around after a guy who can never truly be mine. Bye.'

She made to leave, but James, blinking, said, 'What? I was gonna break up with you! You can't do this. No one's ever broken up with me before!'

'Yeah, well, I have.'

'Oh, no, you haven't,' Lily intervened, stepping in front of the crowd. 'Both of you are going back out. James?'

'Thanks, Lily,' he grinned. He turned back to Ashley and said, 'Ash, I'm dumping you.' By now, most of those at Aaliyah's funeral had stopped and only heard James's last line. Feeling as though justice had been served, the mourners walked away easily, now smiling more. It was going to be okay. It just had to be.

*.*.*

'Do you want a mug of hot chocolate?' Lily asked James timidly. 'I've already got it, so please don't say no.'

It was still Tuesday, but the stars and moon had come up on them with suddenness. Lily was somewhat alarmed by two things: one, James Potter was staring _thoughtfully into the fireplace_ – something only Aaliyah did; two, he had been unnaturally quiet since the funeral.

The fireplace-lit common room was extremely silent, as it was late, and there were only the two of them, James on the sofa and Lily cautiously standing by him.

'Thanks,' he said gratefully, accepting the mug. 'I didn't know you knew where the kitchens are.'

'I didn't until Sirius told me,' Lily admitted, grinning slightly and sitting down beside him.

'Bad girl,' he said, tutting.

She laughed slightly, but only sipped her mug of hot chocolate.

'I know hot chocolate's not the reason you came to me,' he murmured after a minute of staring into the fire. He turned to her instead; she was forced to stare directly into his gorgeous hazel eyes.

'Well … are you okay? You've not quite been the same since …'

'Yeah,' he said easily, 'I've not felt better all year, actually. So good to finally get her off my case. I mean, clingy, or what.'

Lily laughed again slightly, tightening her gown around her.

'Aren't you going to go to sleep?' he asked disapprovingly.

Lily shook her head, smiling sadly. 'Excused from lessons for as long as we're bereaving.'

'Ah, right. I've never seen you miss a class,' he said. 'Ah, no!' he altered a minute later. 'I won't be able to annoy you in any classes tomorrow! My day's nothing without irritating you!'

'Shut up, James,' Lily laughed.

'It feels like you're dying,' he said tactlessly, feigning sadness. 'Oops … sorry, that slipped out …'

'It's okay!' she said quickly. 'I mean, I know how you meant that …'

'I'll just be quiet now,' he said flatly, miming zipping up his lips and throwing the key away.

Lily laughed again, feeling at ease with him, for some reason.

'By the way …' he said after searching underneath the tea table for the invisible key and using it to unzip his lips, 'thanks for sticking up for me back there with Ashley.'

'Just kind of pays you back for all of those times you stuck up for me … with Snape,' said Lily uncomfortably.

'And all of those times you'd scream back at me,' James laughed reminiscently.

'And all of those times you'd shout back,' Lily grinned.

'Okay, this could go on forever,' James said in a final tone. 'But, just to settle it, we all know you were the fiercer one.'

'Uh!' Lily shrieked jokingly. 'Me? I'll show _you _fierce!' She dumped her mug on the table, grabbed a cushion and whacked James around the head with it.

He roared with laughter, placed his hot chocolate on the table, stole Lily's cushion and gently hit her with it.

'Is that all you've got?' she laughed derisively.

'Chivalry's stopping me from really hurting you,' James said, as though this would excuse him of having poor hitting skills.

'Chivalry … or sheer weakness,' she mocked.

'That's a new perception of the one and the only James Potter,' James joked.

'Hey, you're supposed to be in bed,' she said. 'You don't get any time off lessons tomorrow.'

'I don't feel like attending lessons,' James groaned, standing up and stretching. 'They're honestly _nothing_ without you. There's no one to aggravate. That's infuriating in itself.'

Lily laughed yet again, but said nothing, feeling flattered. 'I'll tell you what,' she said after half a minute's silence, 'we can go out for a walk now to compensate for my absence tomorrow.'

James tried making the offer look less tempting than it really was before shrugging and saying, 'Won't we be breaking curfew?'

'We're Heads, silly.'

'I've still got arms and legs and stuff …'

'Oh, shut up,' Lily giggled. 'Let's just go.'

They snuck out of the castle and strolled arm in arm for over an hour on the school fields, just talking and joking and laughing. The serenity and tranquillity Lily and James felt was indescribable. It was just them, no loud and noisy friends, no bossy and fussy teachers, just them in the outdoors, feeling the cool wind on their faces. They trekked up and down hills, climbed and jumped down from trees and had fun.

'Look up there, James,' Lily said clearly, thoughtfully, pointing up at the inky sky, scattered with millions of stars. 'Look at the star that's most twinkling. Look …'

'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' he said seriously, still looking at the brightest star in the dark sky.

'Unless you're thinking that's Aaliyah, no.'

They stood in silence, still arm in arm, thinking. James suddenly laughed. 'I don't know if you were told this too, but when we were younger, we were told that stars were departed souls, up there so they could look down and watch over you.'

'No way,' Lily gasped. 'I've _always_ believed that. I remember the night my hamster, Chestnut, died, I saw a _really_ bright star in the sky that made me think of her.'

'Rest in peace, Chestnut,' James said. 'Come on, let's go in. It's getting cold.'

'I want to stay out,' Lily whined. 'You can go in.'

'If you're going to stay out, you'll have to wear my cloak,' he said warningly. Was that supposed to be a threat?

'Okay,' she said easily, smiling innocently. 'That's totally fine with me. You leave your cloak behind, and a poor, little, innocent girl in the darkness of this lonely world … I'm fine with that.'

James rolled his eyes, unimpressed. 'You win.'

'James, I love you,' she said thoughtlessly, embracing him tightly.

'Huh?'

'Oh, no,' she said quickly, releasing him, 'not in that way.'

'I was gonna say!'

Lily snickered, smiling again. They carried on conversing, lying down on the hill and just relaxing under the stars, enjoying the peaceful night and wondering how Aaliyah was.

Unfortunately, the others didn't have it as good as those two. Remus was up with Peter and Sirius in the dormitory, pretending to be asleep. Those two were discussing Lily and James and how soon it'll be until they become a couple. Remus was slowly losing the will to live.

Alice and Cassie were completely neglected by Vanessa, who was silently sobbing into her pillow and wondering what the night would have been like if Aaliyah was a werewolf instead, although Remus had assured her that death was preferable.

And somewhere, somewhere in or out of this small, small world, Aaliyah was laughing at the state of them all, speculating on when they would catch on – she was happy, safe and marvelling at how missed she was with her mother and siblings. Oh, Aaliyah.

* * *

Tuesday 11th October 1977


	10. Spring in October & Flying Flobberworms

- Chapter Ten -

~ Spring in October and Flying Flobberworms~

Things were almost back to normal the very next day. Nature seem to be born again, besides all of the dead leaves and bare trees, but the sunrise, though later than in spring, was still refreshing, similar to the day Aaliyah had left.

Lily shook her head, smiling, and said, 'Aaliyah's work,' to herself, slipping her cold feet into her slippers and heading for the bathroom. Yes, she was going to go to attend lessons. Why? James Potter? No. Aaliyah? Yes. Even though she wasn't around, she was still happily working her magic.

'Lily,' Vanessa groaned when her friend left the bathroom. 'What're you doing up so early? We're ex – ex – excused from classes, remember?'

'Yeah,' she replied lightly. 'I just don't want to miss today.'

'Oh, yeah, Miss Goody-Goody Two-Shoes wouldn't ever miss a day off school,' said Vanessa sleepily into her pillow. 'That re – re – reminds me … I've got a bone to pick with you when you get back … about where you were last night.'

'Okay,' said Lily a little over enthusiastically. 'Whatever, whenever. Erm … I've got to get dressed and go down for breakfast, you know … busy day! James and I have a meeting and –'

'Not workin',' said Vanessa flatly. 'Puzzokinit.'

Lily took that to mean 'Put a sock in it' and swiftly headed out of the dormitory as soon as she was dressed.

Maybe it was Aaliyah's absence, but Lily felt as lonely as ever, going down to breakfast alone; it was so early that even Alice and Cassie hadn't awoken. But Lily couldn't go back to sleep. She felt too wide awake, almost as though she was anticipating something. But what was there to anticipate?

'James!' Lily half squealed in delight upon entering the Great Hall, spotting her friend. 'Wow, you're up early. Sorry for keeping you awake last night …'

'Lily,' he said welcomingly, making some space between him and Remus for Lily to occupy, 'so are you. It's my fault. I should learn to be stricter and less compassionate with you.'

'No, don't,' she moaned jokingly, 'or else …'

'Or else what?' James teased. 'What're you going to do? Throw a Flobberworm at me?'

'Don't ever underestimate girl power,' Remus said warningly, reaching out for a wrap. 'You've heard it from me. Just don't James.'

'Oh?' James challenged. 'And why's that?'

'I can … I can … I can eat you!' Lily said randomly.

'Pfft,' James dismissed. 'Eat me. Go ahead. Go on. If you eat me, I'll … bite you.'

'What?' Lily said, her voice going high-pitched. 'That makes absolutely no sense, James!'

'It does … to me …'

'James, you're so "chivalrous", that even if I ate your best friend – not that I'd want to – you still wouldn't be able to touch me.'

'How much do you want to bet?'

'All I have,' Lily smiled pleasantly.

'Including me as a friend?' James asked, eyebrows raised.

'No,' Lily said absent-mindedly. 'Wait, if you're _mine_, then I can eat you anyway! This is working out really well, isn't it?'

'For you,' James joked grumpily.

Lily sighed happily. 'What would I do without you?'

'Get more peace,' Remus said quietly, trying to hide with a series of loud coughs.

'Fair point,' Lily grinned.

They finished breakfast with more jokes and light laughter, Alice, Cassie, Peter and Sirius popping up much later. They made their way out in the fields, enjoying autumn's weather, which _did _feel more like spring; the golden light, the tranquillity, the birth of unusual plants, the twittering birds.

'James,' Lily said suddenly, sitting up, 'daffodils blossom in spring, don't they?'

'Yeah,' he said lazily. 'Why?'

'Look, there's a bunch over there – and it's autumn.'

James sat up to; Alice tried looking at what the two were staring at. 'You're right, Lils,' she said finally. 'I wonder why …'

'Wait, it _is_ October, right?'

'Yes,' Remus clarified.

Sadly, they had to split up at ten to eight when they were going their separate ways: Alice and Lily headed for Care of Magical Creatures, which wasn't much of a walk; James and Sirius made their way to the Quidditch pitch to use up their free period – the first game of the season was approaching, and James wanted to practise; Cassie and Peter made their way to the common room for their free hour, just as Remus trudged to History of Magic, unnaturally alone, not just on his way there, but for the entire lesson …. It was hard to believe she was around making jokes and requesting assistance with work not so long ago.

Maybe because their eyes hadn't been on the time, but Lily and James didn't notice and were shocked at the end of Charms, fourth period, as Defence Against the Dark Arts would be the last lesson they had together that day … not that they didn't not want it to be over.

Predictably, Darktoff was in a foul mood for the entire lesson, reducing Peter to tears nearer the end of it.

'Man up, Wormtail,' said Sirius disinterestedly, although he took Peter's lesson's worth of work and rectified the many mistakes.

They were in the warm, fireplace-lit common room, now. It was just Sirius, Remus, Peter and a sea of others who didn't really matter … _not_ _now_ _that_ _Aaliyah_ _wasn't_ _around_, Remus thought.

Vanessa was spending more and more time alone up in the girls' dormitories as Lily spent an increasing amount of time with James planning the Hallowe'en dance. James, however, was also tied up with Quidditch. Besides the fact that he had had to hold trials and wasn't particularly pleased with the new team, he acted enthusiastic and hopeful. In fact, only Lily and the other Marauders knew how he truly felt.

That was another matter; the more Lily spent with James, the more she found herself easy around him. She was actually beginning to feel comfortable around him, and the voice at the back of her head no longer screamed, 'PERVERT!' every time she saw him. The voice at the back of her head began whispering other thoughts, actually … but Lily ignored it and tried not letting it affect her behaviour around James.

James was too busy, anyway. The first Quidditch match of the season was going to be on Saturday, and the team had admittedly improved in a short space of time. However, the weather had worsened, much to Gryffindor's displeasure. By the levels of tension, anyone could tell who Gryffindor would be playing against: Slytherin. Of course they were expected to chicken out due to poor weather conditions, but James was determined to win the game, anyway.

*.*.*

One heavy rain drop slowly fell onto James's cheek and his bright scarlet and gold robes, but it hit him like a bullet. It was Saturday. And it was raining. James ducked his head and stepped back inside to tell the team.

'Oh, NO!' groaned William Dowling, a Beater in sixth-year.

'Calm down, Dowl,' said Joe King, William's fellow Beater and sixth-year, 'or heavy thunders will be sent down.'

'Oh, ha, ha …' said William sarcastically.

'Come on, guys,' said James strongly.

'And girls,' Angela Smith, a Chaser, added.

'And girls,' James agreed. 'We can't let bad weather get the best of us. Look, we're already haven't disagreements. We're made of stronger stuff and _we know it_. It's just time to show everyone else that.'

'Great pep talk, James,' Lily said mildly, popping in with a large smile on her face. 'It's time for you guys to go, come on.'

'Yeah, right,' said James vaguely, kind of making out as though he didn't hear her. 'Come on, team, let's _GO_.'

Their energy was invigorating; they half ran out of the changing rooms with roars in the air and the latest brooms in their hands. Lily, on the other hand, was stumped; had James just _left a room without noticing Lily_? James was obviously spoiling Lily with too much attention. But, all the same, she wasn't used to being treated as a part of the wall …

She had been musing over this for too long; by the time she left the changing rooms, James and the Slytherin Keeper and Captain, Claude Montague, had attempted crushing each other's hands and Madam Hooch, the hawk-resembling referee, had blown her whistle.

Lily searched the Gryffindor stands until she spotted someone she was surprised to meet. She trod over many people's feet to get to where Vanessa was sitting by herself.

'Fancy seeing you here,' Lily murmured, sitting down.

Despite all of the noise, Vanessa heard her loud and clear. However, she pretended to stay focused on the game, staring with narrowed eyes at the Quaffle, which remained in James's possession for at least half a minute before –

'OH, DID YOU SEE THAT INTERCEPTION BY JUSTIN WAYWARD?' Leon Jordan, a Hufflepuff, shouted into the megaphone, wiping some of the rain off of his face. 'And Potter almost had it there. Ah, well, Quaffle's to Angela Smith – mighty fine and feisty that Chaser –'

'Jordan,' said McGonagall warningly, right by his side.

Jordan completely ignored the Transfiguration teacher, now going on about the Quaffle in Kelly Bell of the Gryffindor team's hands.

'Are you okay, Nessa?' Lily asked quietly, now concentrating on the Quaffle, too.

Vanessa suddenly turned to look at Lily, who had to stop herself from recoiling out of shock. Vanessa no longer looked like Vanessa. Her face was pale, tinged with grey, and her hair wasn't as sleek and shiny and she didn't seem to care about it getting soaked; she wore no make-up, so her eyes looked bare and there was no trace of a smile.

'Do I look okay?' Vanessa returned in a quieter tone.

'AND JAMES POTTER SCORED TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!' Leon shouted, punching the air with his fist.

Lily couldn't help but leap up and cheer furiously with many others, excluding Vanessa. She sat down again, looking embarrassed and isolated.

'Lily, give it up,' said Vanessa darkly. 'Potter's moved on from you. He'll only ever date Quidditch girls, anyway, probably.'

'Huh?' Lily said, innocently confused.

'He's not gonna like you again,' she explained clearly, still staring hardly at the Quaffle, 'so you can stop giving him so much attention and affection.'

Lily looked extremely offended. 'You're wrong. I don't want James. After all these years of resisting him! And besides, I like being just friends.'

'Just friends?' Vanessa challenged. She turned to look at Lily with a faint smirk and a raised eyebrow – she almost looked like her old self again. 'Okay, FriendLily, let's see your reaction when he sees a certain Angela Smith after the match.'

'Angela?' Lily repeated, her heart pumping faster than usual for no apparent reason. She was beginning to feel hot, although the rain began properly tipping it down. 'Why? What's he got with Angela?'

Vanessa smirked again. 'Hah, listen to you already. I've just been seeing them two around together a lot lately, that's it.'

'James has been with me a lot,' Lily corrected. 'And if he's not around me, he's been at Quidditch practise.'

'Exactly,' said Vanessa slowly, as though she was explaining something to a toddler.

'Oh,' Lily gasped. 'Well, I don't care, anyway. He has a life. He can date whoever he wants – as if I care! We're just friends and –'

'ANGELA SMITH SCORES AGAIN!' Leon shouted. 'THAT MAKES THE SCORE SEVENTY-FORTY TO GRYFFINDOR.'

'Whatever, Lily.'

Lily left the James conversation at that. She pretended to be concentrating hard on the Quaffle, as well, but soon found her eyes following a certain Gryffindor Chaser and listening to Leon's commentary, instead.

'Look, has Perry Dawes, the Gryffindor Seeker, found something? Oooooh … no, FALSE ALARM, PEOPLE. Potter with the Quaffle – intercepted by Montague and – hey, the Keeper shouldn't tackle the Chaser for the Quaffle unless they're in the zone!' Jordan complained. And sure enough, Madam Hooch awarded Gryffindor a free shoot, which James kindly gave to Angela, who scored; Lily felt something thud in her stomach.

'ANGELA SCORES AGAIN!' Leon shouted. 'AAAND we're back to the game! Oh, wait, what's this? Both seekers, Slytherin's Regulus Black and Gryffindor's Dawes, appear to have seen the snitch! Oh, JUST WATCH DAWES DIVE! Is he feinting or has he REALLY found the snitch? OW! Okay, he WAS FEINTING. Black's nose bleed looks like something …'

'Hold up just one second – PERRY DAWES HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINNNN two hundred and twenty-forty!'

A chant of 'Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor!' began, Lily and Vanessa only joining in half-heartedly. The Gryffindor Quidditch team landed ecstatically on the ground. Lily watched them with a beam on her face. It vanished almost as soon as James flung his arms around Angela, but she smiled weakly, feeling Vanessa's eyes on her.

'Let's go,' she mumbled, dragging Lily away.

'Lils, I know boys,' Vanessa said clearly, as the two trudged in the mud back to the castle. The area around them was desolate – no doubt everyone who wasn't in Slytherin was singing, dancing and screaming in the rain. 'They'll lead you on and then leave you alone.'

Lily said nothing.

'They'll play with your heart and break it, they'll –'

'Vanessa, that's enough,' said Lily firmly, stopping and turning to Vanessa, her hair dripping in front of her face. 'I do not, have not and never will have a crush on James Potter. We're just friends, end of. That's it, there's nothing more to it. Just. Friends.'

Vanessa shrugged, but dropped it. They walked in silence to the empty and silent common room, but both of them could still hear the ringing in their ears, the cheering, the screaming, the shouts of congratulations … it was sickening.

McGonagall ordered the students to go to their common rooms, because, as pleased as she was with Gryffindor's victory, they were going to catch colds and Madam Pomfrey wouldn't be happy at all.

'Go, go, Gryffindor, GO, GO, Gryffindor,' came shouts from outside the portrait of the Fat Lady.

'GRIFFIN!' someone shouted, making the Fat Lady swing open to allow them to enter.

There came shouts of 'WOOOOOOOOOO!' and 'POTTER ALL THE WAY!' and 'GO DAWES!'; Lily's and Vanessa's presence seemed to be ignored completely.

'Prongs,' Sirius shouted from Vanessa's end of the common room, 'come 'ere and 'elp us get a pint! Of Butterbeer, that is!'

'Nah, mate,' James called back, looking engrossed in a sea of excited and awestruck faces around him.

'Come on!' Sirius shouted. 'You're always either at Quidditch or with Evans! What, have you two got a thing going on?'

If the common room was noisy before, it was nothing compared to the noise now; Lily Evans with James Potter?

James detached himself from his fans and made his way to Sirius.

'Don't say that!' he hissed.

'What, you and Evans?'

'Yeah, sh! We've got nothing going on!'

'Oh, yeah right,' Sirius laughed. 'Of course you two have. I can't believe I didn't see it before,' he mocked.

'Shut up, Sirius.'

'Admit it!' Sirius grinned. 'You know it, and I do too, now.'

'Sirius, I'm _NOT_ dating Lily Evans! She's _just_ _some_ _girl_!' he burst. 'I don't know her, like her, or anything! She's _just_ _some_ _girl_ I see against my will almost every day! It's not my fault I ended up being Head with her – believe me, I didn't want this! Seriously, she's nothing, that's all there is to it!'

The noise in the common room subsided immediately as eyes searched the common room. Lily made it easier for them; she snuck out from her corner and brushed past James, saying, 'Thanks, Potter,' as acidly as she could.

'Well done, Prongs,' said Sirius lightly, watching James's eyes trail after Lily. 'You've done it again.'

After a moment's silence, James said: 'More like you _made _me do it again.'

'Nah. Well, she's "just some girl". Good to have you back, by the way. Fancy sneaking out to Hogsmeade to get this party started?'

Sighing, James shrugged and went along with his friends to the passage leading to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. They trudged carefully along the narrow, dark and unstable passage, Sirius and Peter going on about the game with an occasional 'yeah' from Remus. They were careful not to mention Regulus, Sirius's younger brother.

Sirius then felt a painful blow in the head, but it seemed as though he was expecting it. He raised his hand above his head and pushed on a loose tile enough to see that the cellar of Honeydukes was thankfully clear.

'All good,' he whispered. 'Let's just grab stuff and _run_.'

They filed out of the passage way and scattered, like rats, around the room, shoving hands into barrels of jelly slugs, peppermints, chocolate frogs (Sirius in particular), and more.

'Wait,' Sirius hissed, poking his head up, his nose twitching like a dog's. 'I hear someone coming … yes, let's go!'

Peter and Remus had already slid back into the passage way, but Sirius stayed back, noticing that James was rummaging for something inside his Quidditch robes.

'What are you _doing_?' Sirius hissed, 'Let's go, quick!'

James completely ignored him. He extracted a petite bag, pulled it open and withdrew some galleons. He then left it on the shelf of jars and followed Sirius, who was shaking his head and muttering, 'You could take over for Moony, Prongs.'

Remus, knowing what James had done, hung his head down in shame.

Everyone – besides Vanessa – in the common room were overjoyed to have so much food and sweets in their hands. Vanessa sat sulkily in the corner of the room.

'Nessa, have you seen Lily?' James asked her, nibbling a cauldron cake.

'No,' she replied coldly, 'and don't call me that. It's Gills to you.'

'Look, I didn't mean any of that!' he said impatiently. 'You know what I'm like!' He huffed when she didn't look convinced. 'If only Aaliyah was here. She would back me up.'

He left her pondering on her remorseful thoughts at that poignant note, and joined the party, acting happy and carefree.

The next day, he awoke early, just to track Lily down and explain to her. He waited for her in the Heads' room, knowing she would be early to get there for their meeting.

'Okay, let's get this done and over with,' she sighed, sitting down on the sofa.

'Wait, Lily –'

She cut him off by holding her hand up. 'We're here to discuss more about the Hallowe'en dance, that's it.'

'Wait! How can I make it up to you?' he said desperately. 'You _know_ I didn't mean any of that, come on.'

No, she didn't. But this was a chance to humiliate James Potter.

'Okaaaay …' she said playfully, thinking and fiddling with her hair, 'I want you to … dress up as a Flobberworm for the dance!'

'What?' James spluttered. 'No WAY!'

'Oh …' said Lily sadly, grimacing and staring at her shuffling feet. 'So you really _did_ mean it, then? You meant everything you said to Sirius?'

James stared at her with narrowed eyes. 'Oh, you're cheeky, you are … fine. Where am I going to get a Flobberworm costume from?'

Lily stared at him disbelievingly. 'Me plus magic equals Flobberworm outfit.'

It took Lily a little over half an hour to produce James's costume, but when she did, it was well worth it. There was James Potter, standing in a long, brown Flobberworm outfit, shocked at the mess he had gotten himself into.

'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!' Lily laughed, clutching her sides. Her laughter continued for several minutes, until James gave her that okay-joke's-over look of disinterest. She wiped a tear from her eye and said, 'All right, I'm done. Wait, no I'm not! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA …!'

'I'm done, too,' said James impatiently. 'I've got Quidditch practise to get to. Bye. Wait, Lily, I can't get out of this!' he said, frustrated.

'Looks like you're going to have to bunny hop your way downstairs,' Lily giggled. 'Okay, I'll help,' she said reluctantly.

'Help me out of this or help me downstairs?' James asked darkly.

'Hmm … now that you mention it, I think I'll only help you to the changing rooms.' She smiled pleasantly and took his arm.

It was so awkward. James had to literally hop down so many stairs – twice, he jumped and would have slipped and missed a step had Lily not been there. They were completely oblivious to the few staring eyes – bunny hopping proved to be a huge distraction.

They had taken so much time that the other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team had already gotten changed and were all energised, despite the fact that it was only half-past eight in the morning.

They burst into peals of laughter when Lily and James entered the changing room. To James's horror, he found himself having to _fly in that outfit._

'Why have you held Quidditch practises right after the match anyway?' Lily said defensively.

'Because,' James said irritably, grabbing his broom, 'I don't want our fitness levels to drop.' Detecting that Joe King would try making something silly out of what James had just said, he rushed on: 'You won't understand. Quidditch stuff.'

Lily once again felt like a part of the wall as the team, still laughing (apart from James), marched out of the changing rooms.

She ignored that feeling, however, although she was still upset with what James had said. Instead of heading back to the Heads' room, she hung about in the stands, watching a Flobberworm (also known as James) fly. Something whispered in the back of her head:

'_And they never let me down,' smiled Dumbledore. 'You'll see. You two will be friends by the end of this year. Maybe even a couple by the end of this academic year.'_

'_Maybe when Flobberworms fly,' Lily said stubbornly._

_And with that they were dismissed, Lily and James somewhat worried; what if they turned out to be friends?_

'_You know,' said James quietly after closing the door after him, 'it would've been funnier if you'd said "when merpeople" or "when Hinkypunks fly" instead. They can't ever fly given that they live in water.'_

How correct James was. If she _had_ said "when Hinkypunks fly", she wouldn't be sitting in the stands, wondering if Dumbledore had seen this coming. What did this mean, if anything? Would Lily and James _really_ become a couple? An item, maybe? No, she was over thinking this. But she wasn't the only one.

'Great practise, team!' James bellowed as he landed on the ground.

Lily hung about outside the changing room, wanting to remind him that they hadn't planned much of the Hallowe'en dance, but there was an intense diversion.

She got tired of waiting, so she made to leave, but a tug at her elbow held her back. She turned around and found her face only inches away from James's. The intensity with which he gazed into her emerald eyes made colour rise to her cheeks. But she didn't want to drop her gaze.

He then murmured seriously, still holding gently onto her: 'Lily, a Flobberworm flew.'

* * *

Sunday 16th October 1977


	11. Broken Bridges

- Chapter Eleven -

~ Broken Bridges ~

'Where's James?' said Sirius impatiently, finishing the rest of his roll. He consulted his watch before saying, 'He's been gone for ages! I need a distraction.'

'There's one,' said Remus quietly, pointing to the doors.

There stood Vanessa Gills. She didn't look a mess, but she didn't look like a dolled caked up in make up; she looked like a true, natural beauty.

Sirius couldn't help but stare at the radiant, pale golden glow as she smiled to one of her friends on the Hufflepuff table. She then spotted Alice and Cassie at the Gryffindor table and sat in between them.

'Where's Lily?' she asked mildly, helping herself to some toast.

'Haven't seen her all morning,' Cassie shrugged.

'I saw her …' Vanessa recalled vaguely, 'but I was half asleep. She didn't say anything, but I still felt her move around and stuff … where could she be?'

'Trying to find Lily?' Remus asked. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but we can't find James.'

'What can those two be _doing_ together?' Vanessa said distractedly.

'Erm,' Sirius coughed.

Vanessa silenced him with a cold glare before continuing: 'Well, I didn't see them on my way down here … maybe they're in the Heads' room?'

'For that long?' Sirius scoffed. 'Nah. Their meeting was earlier this morning.'

'Shut up, Sirius,' said Vanessa acidly, thinking. 'Maybe Potter has held Quidditch practise and Lily's in the library?'

Sirius barked with laughter; Peter joined in for the sake of it. 'As if James would call for practises _right after_ winning the first match of the season. You've got a lot to learn about Quidditch, Gills.'

'I thought I already told you to shut up,' Vanessa said lightly, frowning in thought as she pretended to look confused.

Sirius stared at her with narrowed eyes, but said nothing, still wondering – to the point of worrying – about where James was. He watched an extremely tiny girl run into the Great Hall, find her friends at the Ravenclaw table, talk urgently to them and then lead them all out. After them, herds of students left the Great Hall at a time. What were Sirius and them missing out on?

'Where's everyone going?' Peter asked stupidly, putting his water back down.

'I don't know … and I don't think I want to …' Remus said seriously, eyeing a first-year as he practically sprinted down the aisle to get out of the Hall and see where everyone else was going.

'Lily and James are Head Boy and Girl,' Sirius shrugged, 'they can take care of it.'

Remus nodded his head, before a horrific thought hit him: 'What if it _is_ them?'

'As if,' Sirius scoffed. 'Those two get along like me and Chocolate Frogs!'

'Interesting comparison, given that you bite Frogs to bits,' Alice said lightly. 'I'm out of here – I want to see.'

Cassie automatically stood up with Alice, and they both walked away, in sync.

'Report back,' Sirius called after them.

'No,' Cassie called back in a flat tone without turning around.

Sirius cursed under his breath. Cassie never listened to anyone; everything she did she did because she wanted to. She did, however, have respect for authoritative figures such as Dumbledore and McGonagall. She faintly intrigued Sirius, although he would never tell her that.

'Let's go.'

Vanessa found herself following Sirius's order, leaving the Great Hall immediately. They followed students, scuttling like mice, and found they didn't have to go far to discover the source of the disturbance. Out on the fields in broad daylight were Lily and James …

'No,' she said clearly. 'N, o, spells NO. It's a no, James! No_ way_! I'm not giving into whatever you're saying, because Dumbledore's influencing you!'

'Dumbledore's influencing me?' James repeated, shocked. 'Look at the _signs_, Lily! You had even said "when Flobberworms fly"! How can you be so ignorant?'

'Easily,' said Lily stubbornly. 'I'm not giving into "fate" or whatever rubbish you're going to come out with. Merlin, since when did _you_ come out with Divination signs?'

James disregarded what Lily had said, trying to stay calm. 'Forget it,' he said coldly. 'Just forget it. You'll see soon, I know it. But for now, you're just not worth arguing with.'

He turned on his heel and left Lily in shock; did she just get _ignored_ by _James Potter_? Disliking the incredulous eyes, Lily left, too.

'Lily,' Vanessa hissed, trying to keep up with her friend. 'Lils, tell me – what was that about?'

'Nothing.' That was a downright lie and they all knew it – Lily's voice trembled a lot.

'Lils, are you _crying_?' she gasped.

'No.'

'Lily?'

'What?'

'Wait up.'

'Why?'

'LILY!' Vanessa half-shouted, finally losing her temper; this made Lily root to the spot, somewhat unwillingly. '_Thank_ you!' Vanessa sighed. 'Now, tell me – what's up?'

It took the entire trip from the school field to the Gryffindor common room for Lily to tell Vanessa the whole story, about what Dumbledore had said, about the reason why James had been feeling guilty and about the significance of a flying Flobberworm.

'Lily, you're incorrigible,' Vanessa whispered, but with a smile on her face. 'You had _said_ when Flobberworms fly, and a Flobberworm _did_ fly, so why can't you accept it?'

'Because,' said Lily sulkily, 'this is _James Potter_. We've got some very _long_ history, not a sappy love story. Plus, he wasn't _really_a Flobberworm, he just dressed like one._'_

A wide grin suddenly unfurled on Vanessa's face.

'What?' Lily asked curiously.

'From the words you had used, "very long history",' Vanessa began, grinning wider still, 'you could rearrange the letters to make the words "love story". You got caught in your own web.'

'Oh, shut up,' said Lily, throwing a cushion at Vanessa. 'This bridge's broken.'

'Bridges can be mended,' Vanessa pointed out. 'Or rebuilt.'

'I thought I told you to shut up,' said Lily lightly.

Her statement made Vanessa giggle.

'_What_?' Lily repeated.

'I said that to Black today …' Vanessa began, launching off into the story about their conversation over breakfast. '… now _that _is what you call a broken bridge,' she concluded.

It was Lily's turn to grin. 'Bridges can be mended,' she retorted. 'Or rebuilt. Ha, _you_ got caught in your own web, there.'

'Oh, shut up,' said Vanessa, throwing the cushion back at Lily.

'I thought I told _you_ to shut up,' Lily repeated. 'Okay, this conversation's going around in _so_ many circles that I'm getting dizzy. No more.'

'All right, tell me – have you gotten any further with preparation for the Hallowe'en dance?' Vanessa asked, completely catching Lily off guard.

'No!' she said, horrified. 'Eurgh! I've got to organise with _James_, but I don't _want_ to. Nessa … can you please help me? I can't do this alone …'

'Of course!'

The girls got to work, sending owls to as many witches and wizards as possible, asking them to come and play or to come along as chief guests or to help decorate. They got this idea from Professor Slughorn; when he hosted his parties for the Slug Club, he normally brought someone special from outside Hogwarts to make things a little interesting.

By the evening, only the Strange Sisters had replied:

_Dear Lily and Vanessa,  
_

_Of course the two of us would love to play at your Hallowe__'en dance! It sounds absolutely spectacular – we should have had one while we were in school. We will be there on the 31st of October for sure.  
_

_All the best,  
The Strange Sisters_.

In a situation like this, Lily and Vanessa had to apply the saying 'Something's better than nothing' in order to comfort themselves, however small the comfort was.

Neither Lily nor Vanessa could concentrate in classes the next day; they were both just _too _excited about the dance and all the organisation required. Not just how the Great Hall would look, or who would be playing, but what they were going to wear and who they were going to dance with.

'Oh, no!' Lily gasped, clapping her forehead almost as _soon_ as they reached the common room after Lily had had her last lesson (Care of Magical Creatures) and Vanessa had come down from Astronomy. 'I've literally _just _remembered we promised Dumbledore that …!'

'… huh?' Vanessa blurted.

'The condition for the Hallowe'en dance to take place – James and I would have the _first dance_!'

'I hate to admit it, but …' Vanessa mumbled.

'_Don't_ say you're seeing stupid "signs", too,' Lily scoffed.

Vanessa didn't reply and Lily ended the conversation there.

The entire week flew by without a reply from any of the celebrities Lily and Vanessa had used the school owls to contact. The anxiety was beginning to build, what with the fact that it was a week until Hallowe'en and they had received no replies after the Strange Sisters.

Lily and Vanessa were beginning to lose faith in the Hallowe'en Dance happening at all – that would be all of their hard work gone to waste. The girls had made lanterns to hang above their heads in the Great Hall instead of the usual candles, and they had discovered a charm to project fake bats. They had also looked up hexes to make the food a little more interesting. But all of this would mean nothingwithout some people to join them.

It was on the week before Hallowe'en that Lily and Vanessa received the most owls as they were eating breakfast; several people turned around to look at them.

'Since when did _they_ get so popular?' a first-year muttered as he and his friends passed the Gryffindor table.

'Since when were _you_ allowed to talk?' said Vanessa threateningly; the first years scattered in different directions, making even Lily laugh.

'Right, down to business,' she said. 'First letter … _YES!_'

'Whoa … calm down,' Vanessa said cautiously. 'Who's it from and what's it about?'

Lily handed the parchment to Vanessa:

_Dear Miss Evans and Miss Gills,  
_

_I would be overjoyed to attend your Hallowe__'en dance – rumours have actually been flying around, and it sounds quite interesting.  
Sorry for the late reply – I have been __unbelievably__ busy with Quidditch practises, as you may or may not understand.  
_

_Much love to my fans,  
Lester Heaney_

'Merlin!' Vanessa squealed. 'He said "much _love_"!'

'… I was talking about his acceptance to our invitation …'

'Who cares? He's fit! And I can't believe he's going to be there! Aaargh, can't wait!'

'He said "much love" to his fans,' Lily frowned. 'How long have _you_ been into Quidditch for?'

'Since now!' Vanessa squealed. 'Oh, sweet Merlin … I'm keeping this letter!'

'Big deal,' said Sirius irritably, sitting not that far away from Lily and Vanessa, but with the other Marauders. 'Anyone could fly and look good.'

'Not like him,' Vanessa retorted. 'So, who're the other letters from?'

Sirius stood up, banged his knife and fork on the table, and left. James quickly apologised to Lily and Vanessa before taking his friend's lead.

'Well …' Lily acted as though there hadn't been an interruption, 'Selena Warbeck said she'll be there – she sings great for couples to slow dance to –'

'– including you and James –'

'– shut up … oh, that creepy vampire guy can't make it,' Lily murmured, more to herself. 'OH! Stanley the Skeleton and Co can make it! And so can – wait, who's Kiara the seer?'

'A seer,' said Vanessa lightly.

Lily looked at Vanessa disinterestedly. 'Really?' she said flatly.

'I invited her.'

'Mm … _why_?'

'Because,' Vanessa began defensively, 'it just gets into the hallow kind of side of Hallowe'en … and you get it … the hallow part of Hallowe'en and … I'll just be quiet now …' she trailed off.

'That's it,' said Lily mildly, smiling to herself. 'Oh, wait … one more …'

_Dear the organisers of the Hallowe__'en gathering,_

'Gathering?' Vanessa hissed.

_I would like to inform you of my presence in the Hallowe__'en gathering you are supposedly organising. I will be a fair asset amongst other guests you have invited.  
Thank you very much for accepting me,  
The Spirit Princess_

Silence amongst the two friends followed until Lily gulped and said, 'Okay, this "Hallowe'en gathering" is officially freaking me out … did you invite "The Spirit Princess"?'

Vanessa shook her head. 'I take it you didn't.'

Lily shook her hair and stared fearfully at the piece of parchment. 'We've both got caught in our own web …'

* * *

Monday 24th October 1977


	12. Moments in Time

- Chapter Twelve -

~ Moments in Time ~

'So … what do we have?' James asked casually, taking his seat on the sofa of the Heads' and Prefects' room.

'Nothing,' Lily mumbled vaguely, her eyes scanning parchments in front of her.

'_What_?' James spluttered. 'Hallowe'en is in –' he quickly counted using his fingers, '– _six _days! You can't have nothing prepared! Wait … you're pulling my leg, aren't you?' he added with a grin.

'Yep.'

'Don't _do_ that,' he said with a sigh of relief. 'So what have we done so far?'

'By "we", you must mean Vanessa and I, because you've done no more than a Flobberworm on a broomstick. Oops, wrong expression …'

James ignored the last part and hurried on: 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've not been able to help and … I'm sorry about what I said.'

Lily pretended to be lost into space, staring thoughtfully. 'Hmm, that's strange,' she said lightly. 'I swear we were in this very room ten days ago or so and you were apologising. Odd that, right?'

James sighed; it was going to take more to win Lily over this time. 'All right … what do you want me to do now?'

'This isn't about me or what I _want_ you to do! It's not about dressing up as a Flobberworm and trying to dance – which, by the way, won't happen as my first dance is with _you_ and I don't fancy dancing with a Flobberworm. You should say sorry because you _are_ sorry. But here, you make a mistake, you're sorry, make another, you're sorry – it just doesn't work.'

An uncomfortable silence followed Lily's mini speech. She covered it by moving on: 'About the Hallowe'en dance – we've got quite a bit organised.' She grabbed some spare parchment and a quill and begun writing:

_Hallowe'en Plans_

_- Music: The Strange Sisters and Selena Warbeck_

_- Guests: Lester Heaney (Irish Chaser), Kiara the Seer and the Spirit Princess_

_- Entertainments: Decoration (projected bats, etc.), Stanley the Skeleton and co  
- James: Spin the Bottle, Truth or Dare, Scary Stories (16+), etc._

'That's it,' she smiled.

James scanned the list with a slight frown appearing on his forehead.

'What's wrong?' Lily asked, her smile fading. 'Not enough games? I was stuck for ideas.'

'OH!' he said. 'You kinda … misspelled "games" … you spelled James …'

She took back the parchment and felt her cheeks radiate. She couldn't look at him properly during the rest of the meeting, staring down at her lap, instead. James found this quite amusing – he could only try biting back his resurfacing grin and fail completely.

All in all, Lily was only too glad to get out of the meeting later on in the evening and completely avoid James for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, the latter was impossible, but it was worth a try.

*.*.*

'All clear?' Sirius whispered into his wand. 'Wormtail? I said "all clear"? Hello? Can you hear me? W – Wormtail? Padfoot here. Hello?'

Sirius's wand merely crackled. Until –

'Padfoot, Padfoot, can you hear? Over,' came Wormtail's voice from Sirius's wand. It came out strange and only slightly audible, but Sirius was able to reply quickly.

'Yes, Wormtail,' Sirius said clearly, leaning heavily against the wall on the sixth-floor corridor, and on his guard. 'Tell me – where are the Slytherins at? Hello? H-hello? Yeah, Wormtail – _where are the Slytherins_? Over.'

'They're coming down the rickety staircase. Over,' squeaked Peter.

'Yes, but _where_? We've already established that much. Over,' said Sirius exasperatedly, shaking his head. This conversation had been going on for approximately ten minutes, and Sirius still had no idea where the Slytherins were.

'On the sixth-floor,' said Remus absent-mindedly, not looking up from the large, heavy textbook he was reading.

'Huh? This floor? Lies! How do you know?'

'They're right along the corridor,' he replied vaguely. 'If you bothered using the Marauders' Map, you would know.'

'_What_?' Sirius jumped up and turned around.

Sure enough, there they were; Severus Snape, Avery, Theodore Nott, Evan Rosier, Wilkes and Regulus.

Sirius stared at Regulus coldly; the two looked so similar. The only differences were that the latter was slighter, looked less haughty and wasn't as handsome as Sirius. They were unable to deny their blood relationship, given that they look so similar, but that didn't stop them avoiding each other where possible.

'Black,' said Regulus coldly, nodding his head at Sirius when they passed him and Remus.

'Black,' Sirius returned in an equally icy tone.

After the gang had left, Remus said, 'How does that work?'

'Huh?'

'"Black." "Black." You boys have first names, you know.'

'I no longer know his first name and I share the surname unwillingly.'

Remus didn't bother pursuing the subject; he rolled his eyes and resumed reading his book.

Suddenly, there was a loud _bang_ and _thud,_ shouts and yells – the Slytherins who had just passed them were running back again, one of them, Rosier, maybe, screaming like a girl.

'What the –' Remus and Sirius broke off, completely confused.

The Slytherins were drenched in slimy, lime-green substance and slipping over as they tried running away. It was a hilarious sight – Avery was trying to run ahead of everyone, pushing back Nott and Wilkes for support, but this made him slip over, and he got trampled by Lestrange.

Sirius was too busy clutching his sides and wheezing with laughter to care that they, too, had been slightly covered in the sticky, gooey stuff.

Remus merely chucked for about ten seconds before grinning in a truly amused way. If only James was there, he'd have loved it!

It took Sirius a full five minutes before he could stop laughing and ask Peter, who had just appeared, what happened.

'I did it, Sirius, I did it!' Peter said excitedly. 'I've finally got the Slytherins back! And all by myself! I did it, I did it!'

He looked like a thrilled, overgrown child, but it was quite sweet. Sirius smiled properly, clapped his fellow Marauder on the shoulder and said, 'Well done, mate. You've made us proud, all right. I'm sure James would've been proud of you, too, if he was here. Good one.'

It was difficult to tell if Peter's eyes were watering from laughter or joy – _Sirius Black_ had complimented and congratulated him; no one could give any higher then that … just to be accepted, adored and admired by friends …

*.*.*

'Hey, Lily!' James called, running down the seventh-floor corridor towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, which was about to open for Lily. 'Lils, I know how to make it up to you.'

'I'm listening,' she said curiously, entering the common room with Vanessa, James right behind them.

'There's a trip to Hogsmeade tomorrow, and I was just wondering if you, you know, maybe … wanted to go. Not like a date,' he added quickly, 'just a little outing kind of thing, you know ….' He felt himself going red and shy, but there was nothing he could do, besides avoid Lily's eyes.

'Oh, no,' she said softly, reddening as well. 'James, I'm _so_ sorry – Vanessa and I are going shopping tomorrow for outfits to wear for Hallowe'en … sorry. I'm all booked. Unless you wanted to come with, but I can't see that happening.'

'Oh, it's okay,' James said quickly, although he was dying inside. 'I understand –'

'Don't be such a killjoy, Lily!' Vanessa said urgently. 'I can do the shopping by myself or with Alice and Cassie. You go off and have fun!'

'Costume shopping _is_ fun,' Lily frowned.

'Not as fun as … yeah,' Vanessa trailed off. 'Go on, you've not had proper fun in _ages_.'

'I don't want to leave you to –'

'I've got an idea,' said James brightly. 'Group d – er, outing. Girls go costume shopping, guys go gag shopping, we all meet up and have lunch –'

'– and then we _all_ live _happily ever after_,' Sirius interrupted in a high-pitched voice.

'Shut up, Padfoot,' James grinned.

'Whatever,' Sirius shrugged. 'I'm cool with anything, so long as we can pay a visit to Zonko's.'

'Oh,' Vanessa said lightly, 'James didn't mention I'll be there, too.'

The face that Sirius's face had instantly turned to stone and he didn't properly reply satisfied Vanessa highly.

'That's nice,' said Cassie sarcastically, appearing with Alice at the foot of the girls' dormitories' stairs. 'What's happening about Hogsmeade now?'

Vanessa explained it to the newcomers, secretly hoping to sting Sirius. However, he didn't betray any hint of hurt; this made Vanessa feel so unfulfilled.

*.*.*

Vanessa reached for her dark red scarf – it was pretty cold outside, because it was late October. She was even cold just standing in the girls' dormitories. Something stopped her hand mid-way as she was about to pick the scarf up, though. She turned over one of the corners of the scarf and read the embroidery:

_Nessa,_

_With love,_

_Sirius_

_The weather was too hot, even for summer. But it was enjoyable. She was with her boyfriend and no one else. All was good. The clear sky was a bright blue and the sun was at its brightest. It was just too tranquil. Besides the couple who were actually bickering, but not angrily._

'_Sirius, no, don't bother,' Vanessa whined. 'When I said I want something to take away with me to remember this date, I meant ice cream – it's so hot out here!'_

'_Okay, ice cream _and_ a scarf now,' Sirius grinned, arm-in-arm with Vanessa._

'_I don't want you to buy me a scarf – it's summer!'_

'_But you can get scarves that are also sashes and stuff. See, you can where it all year round, so you can think about me all year round.'_

'_I think about you all the time anyway,' said Vanessa wearily, though with a smile. 'You're the only thing that's ever on my mind.'_

'_Great.'_

'_Sirius!' Vanessa groaned. 'Don't bother. It's just a waste of Galleons.'_

_Sirius didn't listen. He purchased her ice cream and left her alone, sitting on the jade-grassed hill just licking away._

How long is he going to be? _Vanessa asked herself. He spoiled her way too much._

_But he didn't take too long. He was carrying a petite, maroon bag which held Vanessa's curiosity._

'_What's in there?' she asked cautiously, eyeing the bag with apprehension._

_Sirius didn't speak. He took the contents of the bag. It looked _beautiful_. The scarf was so light and delicate, with weavings of ruby and mahogany. On one of the corners, it read:_

Nessa,

With love,

Sirius

_Vanessa couldn't do anything but gaze, awestruck, at the beauty of his preference in scarves/sashes._

'_Sirius, it's _beautiful_,' she said truthfully._

'_And it's all yours.'_

_He took the scarf/sash and wrapped it carefully around her neck, before kissing her cheek lightly, making her blush._

'_Thank you _so_ much,' she said fervently. 'I honestly couldn't have been given anything more … wordlessly describable.'_

'_Also …' he murmured, 'the tassels … they normally fall off, right?'_

_Vanessa nodded._

'_But here,' he continued, 'they've been stuck on properly with a Permanent Sticking Charm by yours truly … when the last tassel falls off, that's when I'll stop loving you …'_

_Vanessa's heart just about melted._

'Nessa? Are you ready?' Lily's voice interrupted Vanessa's flashback.

'Huh?' she said quickly. 'Oh, yeah – right – yeah, erm, one sec …' She was still holding onto the love-stitched scarf.

'Come on, you,' Lily smiled. 'What's up? Are you okay?'

'Yeah,' Vanessa croaked, before clearing out her throat. 'Yes. I just don't know which scarf I want to wear.'

Lily sighed and shook her head. 'Sometimes, you really remind me of the typical witch. You've spent this long trying to pick a scarf?'

'Pretty much, yeah,' said Vanessa lightly, avoiding Lily's eyes.

'Well … wear the red one,' Lily said sweetly. 'It looks gorgeous on you. When did you get it?'

'Thanks. Summer holidays.'

'Cool!' Lily smiled. 'Where from?'

'A shop. I don't know, I didn't buy it.'

'Who did?' Lily asked frowning.

'… Sirius,' Vanessa whispered.

It was a sticky situation. The scarf Lily had praised so highly was gifted by a person who had stooped so lowly …

'Oh, well … in that case, never mind. You can just wear the Gryffindor scarf, if you like. You know, the Gryffindor scarf is so under-rated. I think it looks nice on you,' she rambled guiltily, trying to make it up.

'Forget it,' Vanessa mumbled.

But she held the Gryffindor scarf and tied it around her neck. It may be thicker then the mahogany scarf, but, for some reason, the latter seemed to give Vanessa more warmth … more comfort.

'We can cancel this if that suits you –' Lily began.

'No, I'm fine,' said Vanessa firmly, smiling rather forcefully. She jumped up and down slightly while saying, 'I'm good to go. Wait … is that all you're wearing?'

She regarded Lily's clothes with disapproval; she was wearing only one thin, body-hugging, white jumper, with the tiniest ascot and a pair of jeans.

'Yeah,' she said, smiling. 'It's literally _all_ I've got – everything else has either been scavenged by Alice and Cassie or is getting washed.' She concluded with a sigh, although she was smiling.

'Okay,' Vanessa shrugged. 'Suit yourself … but you could've come to me,' she said brightly. 'We're about the same size.'

'What five foot four?' Lily clarified. 'Nah, I'm taller.'

'No way,' Vanessa said. 'Back-to-back.'

But a sudden interruption made both of them jump and their heads collide.

'Owww!' Vanessa moaned, rubbing her head.

'Are you girls coming or what?' Cassie said quietly. 'We've been waiting for what feels like _years_. Come on!'

'We just wanted to see who's taller,' grumbled Vanessa, following Cassie and still rubbing the sore spot on her head.

'Lily, end of,' said Cassie flatly.

'What? No! I am.'

'Lily, end of,' Cassie repeated.

'What took you girls so long?' James asked.

'Vanessa couldn't pick a scarf to wear,' Lily grinned; Vanessa glared at the traitor.

'And you obviously couldn't pick any warm clothes to wear,' James said. 'You're going to _freeze_ outside.'

'We'll be _indoors_ shopping a lot of the time.'

'And on the way to and from Hogsmeade?'

'I'll live.'

James didn't pursue the quarrel. He merely shook his head and took the lead out of the common and the school, with Sirius by his side. The two were caught up cracking jokes. After them, Remus and Peter walked in sync, discussing what appeared to be private matters quietly. After them, Alice and Cassie were busy gossiping about what he said she said; in other words, stuff Lily wasn't interested in.

The awkward moment between Lily and Vanessa in the dormitories built a tough ice between them; they were silent and uncommunicative until James and Remus fell back to walk with them.

'So …' said James awkwardly, 'what have you ladies been talking about?'

'Nothing,' Lily said flatly, staring at her feet as one stepped in front of the other and again and again and again …

'Okay … well, we're here,' said James conversationally, shrugging. 'Split up?'

Lily and Vanessa nodded.

'What's the time now …?' Remus asked himself, checking his watch. 'Okay, it's only twelve now, so we can meet up at the Three Broomsticks in an hour, right?'

'That's cool with me,' said Cassie, stepping up. 'Be there at one sharp in the Three Broomsticks, then. Don't be late. And, Black, don't delay them.'

'She is so obsessive,' they heard Sirius mutter as he and the Marauders retreated.

'I heard that,' Cassie called back.

But even Cassie wasn't easy enough to let the Marauders get to them. Vanessa, unfortunately, was.

The girls stepped into a shop of clothes. There was a variety of clothing, not just witches' and wizards' robes, but Muggle dresses, too, and Hallowe'en costumes, ready for the upcoming occasion.

'This dress?' Lily asked, holding a hanger (holding a sky blue dress) by her neck.

'Nah,' said Vanessa tonelessly.

'What about a witch outfit?'

'No.'

'Erm … I could dress up as … a goblin?'

'You can dress up as a goblin _and_ look as pretty as you do,' Cassie smirked.

'Thanks, Cass,' Lily said, blushing. 'But then _what_ should I wear?'

'… clothes?' Cassie shrugged. 'Listen, I've got to go to the Three Broomsticks – if I don't get there by one o'clock sharp, I'll look like such a hypocrite. You girls can keep shopping, though.'

'No, I'll come with you,' Vanessa said lightly, hopping off her stool and following Cassie out of the dark and dusty store.

'You can go, too, if you want, Alice,' Lily said vaguely, going through more clothes on the rack.

'I'd much rather help you out,' Alice smiled. This was one of the reasons Lily _loved_ Alice Knight – she was so helpful and … so Aaliyah-like, what with her innocence and naivety. But not Aaliyah.

'Thanks, Alice,' Lily smiled. 'Now … what should I go as? A troll?'

'No!' Alice shrieked, looking offended. 'I mean, a _troll_? You want to look absolutely _beautiful_. Everyone's going to be watching you, even James.'

'A "beautiful" Hallowe'en costume?' Lily said flatly, in a tone that almost made Alice giggle. 'You can't get any more "beautiful" then a troll.'

'Mm … I reckon ogres probably look better,' Alice argued in her high-pitched voice.

'Ogres?' Lily scoffed mockingly. 'Okay, _James Potter_, looks better than an ogre – and that's saying something.'

'Ah, come on,' Alice said, going through a different rack of clothes. 'He's not _that_ bad. And he's got really nice eyes.'

Lily was silent. She didn't want to voice her true opinions of James Potter.

But she was spared from answering anyway, when Alice suddenly gasped and clutched Lily's arm.

'Lils, look up there,' she breathed, pointing at a well-lit display on the wall.

Lily gazed up and found something which made her jaw drop – the most beautiful silk dress Lily had ever laid eyes on. It was floor-length and seem to emit a ruby glow, as the dress was scarlet itself. The top half of the dress, a u-neck, was ornamented with petite roses and the tiniest red gems. The bottom half was simpler, just plain silk, light as a feather and as soft as baby's skin when Lily touched it. The dress also came with matching high-heels and a rose-adorned headband. Beautiful.

'I want this,' Lily whispered. 'I – I mean,' she tried amending, snapping out of a trance, 'only if you don't –'

'Lils, I've picked this for you because it matches with your hair colour and it's _gorgeous_,' Alice said, still staring up at it with her mouth opened.

'Yeah – and expensive.' Lily just had to break the serenity.

But it was indeed expensive – forty-nine galleons, sixteen sickles and eleven knuts, to be precise.

'I can't afford this,' she said gloomily, feeling her cheeks go pink slightly.

'Don't be daft!' Alice said. 'We've been looking for clothes for ages! Now we've found the _perfect_ costume – a fairy's, I think – you just can't back out.'

'Watch me.'

'Wait! What if I helped pay?'

Lily felt her cheeks surpass pink and turn red. 'No. Really. It's just a dress. I can live without –'

Alice wasn't listening. She turned her back to Lily, emptied out her purse and counted … seven galleons.

'One sec,' Alice said quickly, skipping out of the store. 'Don't go anywhere, I'll be _right_ back.'

'Alice, what –?' Lily questioned, not bothering to complete her sentence. She sighed and flopped on a squashy chair.

'Can I help you, darling?' asked the shop assistant.

Oh, so _now_ she asks.

'No, thanks,' Lily smiled. 'I'm just waiting for my friend.'

The assistant nodded and left Lily on her own, waiting, waiting and waiting. When Alice did come back, she was holding _so_ many galleons and sickles that they began spilling out of her hand by the time she returned to Lily.

'Alice – where did you get –?'

'No questions, just buy,' she said hurriedly. 'Everyone's waiting for us in the Three Broomsticks.'

Lily purchased the costume and ran out of the store with Alice, laughing at nothing. It felt like those moments when everything was good and nothing could ruin it, not even the thought of Aaliyah missing the first Hallowe'en dance in Hogwarts. Maybe a little, but Lily was just going to smile and laugh the feeling away.

*.*.*

'Prongs, you've not chosen any new joke stuff,' Sirius stated, shocked. 'Ah, come on.'

'Nah,' James repeated.

'Why not?'

'We've got the Marauders' Map, the Invisibility Cloak and our brains – what more do we need?'

'Erm – _novelty items_,' Sirius said as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

'All right,' James grinned. 'We'll stock up on the usual.'

The two began searching Zonko's Joke Shop for whatever they could find – Dungbombs, Hiccough Sweets, Frog Spawn Soap, Sugar Quills, Nose-Biting Teacups and more.

'I'm happy,' Sirius grinned as they headed out of Zonko's – somewhat unwillingly – and into the coldness of the outside world.

'Well, yeah, you just kind of bought all Zonko's has to offer,' Remus said bluntly.

'Isn't it great, Moony?' Sirius grinned even wider at the sight of certain students wearing green and silver scarves. 'Hey, should we test them out now? You know, just to check we didn't buy really horrible and valueless artefacts?'

'Good idea, Padfoot,' James agreed, though only half-heartedly.

Sirius took cover behind a post – the nearest shelter.

'Good one,' James said with light sarcasm, shaking his head.

He dragged Sirius to the alley near Zonko's and they both tightly squished themselves against the walls when Remus and Peter decided to join them.

'Come on,' Sirius whispered. 'They're going to walk past us in a sec … and !'

The Marauders – Sirius, James and Peter – jumped out, their hands full of dungbombs, and shot them at the seventh-year Slytherins, who all yelped, jumped and scattered in different directions, once again eager to be the first one of out shot.

'Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, haaaa!' Sirius and James were once again doubled up with laughter. 'Did you see their _faces_?' Sirius cried. 'Next time, we should try those fake exploding mice! They're such _cowards_!'

Peter, sucking up, laughed his wheezy laugh, clapping his thighs and holding onto Sirius for support.

'Aaaah!' Sirius said, wiping tears from his eyes. 'I love Slytherins. They're awesome. So brave, so noble … so _stupid _and cowardly. Ha, ha!'

'That makes _no_ sense,' Remus laughed. '"So noble … _and_ cowardly". Smooth, Sirius.'

'Shurrup,' Sirius grinned. 'I know what I mean, and James does, too, right?'

'…'

'_Right_?'

'… sure, buddy.'

'See,' Sirius smiled. 'Hadn't we best get to the Three Broomsticks before Miss Feisty –'

'Yeah,' James cut across. 'Let's go, boys,' he said with an enthusiastic leap forward.

They made the short trip to the Three Broomsticks, Sirius still in fits about the prank they had stupendously pulled off.

'Hell-_o_, Madam Rosmerta,' Sirius said quietly to himself, grinning.

'One step ahead of you, pal,' James said, overtaking Sirius to the bar.

'Hold it there, child,' Sirius said, dragging James back and moving forwards.

'No, no, Sirius, I –' something stopped James from finishing his sentence. 'Sure, go ahead.'

'AWESOME!' Sirius sloped off to the bar, trying to play it cool.

'Well, hello, there, Mr Black,' Madam Rosmerta said cheerfully. 'How can I help you today?' She sounded composed, but her cheeks betrayed her.

'Fine, thanks, Madam Rosmerta. And you?'

'Jolly good, Mr Black. Where's Mr Potter?'

Did she know how much it hurt him to hear her say James's name? Did she?

'He's over there,' Sirius grinned. 'Can we please have seven Butterbeers and … can I have red currant rum?'

'I'm not sure, Mr Black,' Rosmerta smiled. '_Can_ you have red currant rum?'

'Oh, _fine_,' Sirius grinned. 'I'll have a Butterbeer, thanks.'

'Who're the other four Butterbeers for?' Rosmerta asked conversationally, filling up mugs.

'Oh, the girls – Alice Knight, Cassandra Haney, Lily Evans and … Vanessa Gills.'

'Lily Evans?' Rosmerta repeated, almost dropping a mug. '_Lily Evans_? How can – yes, but – she and James can't _stand _each other, though. That's what I heard.'

'They're both Heads now,' Sirius shrugged, 'I think they've gotten over their differences.'

'Ooh, I see something coming on,' Rosmerta gushed.

'Me, too,' Sirius muttered darkly to himself.

'Let me just consult this mug of Butterbeer.' She stared into the depths of the foamy drink, making out a surprise. 'Well, it's not much of a surprise, but they're going to be together by the end of the academic year.'

'What's this?' James said warmly. 'Who?'

'Why, you and Miss Evans, of course,' Rosmerta laughed.

James shook his head, smiling politely. 'No chances. Well, maybe when I go dancing with some fairy.'

'You never know,' Rosmerta said in a high-pitch voice, passing two Butterbeers to James and two to Sirius.

'I just don't want to get your hopes high.'

'Too late for that, m'boy.'

There she went again, acting affectionate to James. Sirius grinned and shook his head to himself.

They carried the Butterbeers off to their table before Rosmerta had to serve other customers. Cassie and Vanessa had reached their before them and stole their seats.

'Fine, then,' Sirius muttered, taking the seat next to Remus.

It was awkward; the boys didn't want to talk about boy things and the girls were on mute mode. Alice's entrance proved to be a distraction; she burst in, breathing heavily, and found them sitting in silence.

'I need money!' she said. 'I need f – f – forty-two Galleons, sixteen Sickles and eleven Knuts – _please_, guys! It's for L – Lily. And no, she d – didn't send me here. It's just that we saw a _really_ nice dress and it's ex – p – p – pensive,' she said breathlessly.

James felt his pockets and found his money bag. From there, he extracted the correct amount of money and shoved it into Alice's hands.'

'I didn't mean _just_ you – I was hoping a – all of you could fork out – James, this is a lot of money.'

'Hey, it's for Lily,' James said, shrugging. 'I'm cool with it.' He took a swig of his Butterbeer.

'Thank you _so_ much, James, I owe you for a _lifetime_.'

She hurried back out of the Three Broomsticks, calling, 'Be back in a bit!'

'She's off her rocker,' Peter squeaked, shaking his head in a Sirius-like manner.

Cassie's narrowed her eyes, but a little kick from Vanessa under the table made her say nothing.

As James had predicted, Lily _did_ get cold on her way back to Hogwarts, but she didn't complain. She folded her arms across her chest and distanced herself from the others, falling back.

'You're cold?' James had to bite back his lips as he slowed down to match Lily's pace.

'No,' she lied.

James stared at her.

'Okay, maybe,' she amended.

He continued staring at her.

'Okay, I _am_ cold, happy?'

'Not really … hey, you can borrow my –'

'Forget it,' Lily said flatly, gaining pace.

James didn't bother trying to catch up with her. She didn't know how much that hurt him, and even if she did, so what? Who was he to her? He was now staring at his feet, grimacing in rejection and hurt … not that he liked her or anything.

* * *

Saturday 29th October 1977


	13. Preparations

- Chapter Thirteen -

~ Preparations ~

It was here. Finally. The day many students had been anticipating since Dumbledore's announcement. It was Hallowe'en, at last. Anyone could feel the thrill and chill in the air. Even the weather was playing along. Leaves fell from trees like rain did from the sky – scenery changed within a blink. Many trees, especially in the Forbidden Forest, now held bare branches. First-years were gossiping amongst themselves, excited over the magical appearances to be shown in the Dance. Sixth- and seventh-years were comparing dates, the girls getting the giggles. The mood was so anticipative that school broke up early for half-term, because, besides the fact that teachers were unable to teach, students were unwilling to focus or work hard during class.

Lily and James were in fact the only students who worked hard – they had the entire school to decorate, with only the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw prefects helping.

'Those Slytherin Prefects are just too rude …' James muttered frequently under his breath. 'Won't even turn up for Prefect duties …'

Whenever he said this, Lily would shrug and lightly say, 'Slytherins will be Slytherins.'

Remus and Vanessa had volunteered to help every now and then, but Remus was normally busy in the library and Vanessa was busy trying to hunt down a date, along with Cassie. Alice already had a boyfriend – Frank Longbottom. He was a Gryffindor, but had been in the year above them, and so was no longer at school. Alice was proudly telling anyone who would listen that Frank was currently in Auror training and was doing great.

On the morning of the dance, most students – witches in particular - were up bright and early, too excited to pretend to be asleep any longer. Lily, however, was less eager. Today didn't only mean tons of organising … it also meant the Dreaded Dance with James Potter.

'It won't be that bad,' Vanessa said lightly, smiling to herself.

'How do you know?' Lily shot back. 'It hasn't even happened yet.'

'Exactly. How do you know it _will_ be bad?'

'This is _James Potter_. He can't dance. Plus, he's going to have to _touch me_. James Potter – holding onto _me_.'

'He's done it plenty of times before,' said Vanessa casually. She then caught the look of disbelief on Lily's face and amended: 'Oh, yeah. That's right. He's never laid even the shadow of his pinkie on you.'

Lily rolled her eyes and flumped onto her bed. 'Nessa, I'm dead. No, I will die tonight.'

'And in your will …' Vanessa prompted.

'I bequeath one thing to all of you: myself.'

'Aww!' Vanessa said, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye. 'James will be happy to hear that,' she added with a wink. She left the dormitories for breakfast, after a glance at Lily's shocked, furious and disgusted face.

Lily jumped out of bed instantly and followed Vanessa.

'Nessa – how can you _say _that? Friends. Just friends. Not even that, I doubt.'

'Yeah, yeah …' Vanessa trailed, tripping on the last step of the staircase to and from the girls' dormitories.

She literally toppled onto Peter and Sirius who had just been innocently (sort of) passing by, on their way out of the common room.

She knocked the two clearly off their feet – Peter found her foot near him; Sirius found her face less than inches away.

There was a brief, intense pause, in which Vanessa swore the world, time itself, had frozen. Then –

'Get OFF of me, Gills!' Sirius half-roared.

Vanessa leapt up almost immediately, practically stamping on Peter. 'Sorry,' she said quickly, before taking Lily's hand and leaving.

'Some girls have _serious _issues,' Sirius grunted, trying to get up. 'Peter, I need to get up. You need to move,' he added slowly.

'What? Why? Where to?' Peter said frantically. 'I like where I'm living at the moment!'

Sirius slapped his forehead with his palm. He jumped up, making Peter roll off him and onto the floor.

'Thanks …' Peter said quietly, getting up and rubbing invisible dust off his clothes.

Sirius rolled his eyes. He led Peter out of the common room, and they both walked down for breakfast, discussing what Vanessa's latest mental breakdown was about.

'Maybe she really _does_ like me,' Sirius said thoughtfully.

'Maybe she's in a bad mood today …' Peter said.

'Maybe she's just always like that,' Sirius said, shrugging.

'Or maybe it was just an … an _accident_!' A thrill ran through Peter's voice, as though he thought he'd made a huge breakthrough.

Sirius shook his head and resumed eating his toast.

'So, today's dance … what're you going dressed up as?' he asked casually.

'A werewolf,' said Peter lightly. 'Moony's been kindly helping me with my outfit. I don't know how he does it!' said Peter in a shocked, wondrous tone. 'I mean, he knows _exactly_ how the snout is shaped, how the legs should be positioned, what the fur should be like … amazing. That boy's a genius.'

'… Whatever you say,' Sirius said darkly. 'You believe whatever you want to believe, Wormtail, my friend.'

'What, in Remus? I have full faith in Remus,' said Peter happily, swinging his legs underneath the table like a child.

Sirius shook his head, but said nothing.

'What are _you_ going as, Sirius?' said Peter excitedly – his nose was even twitching.

'This _really_ weird, _really _creepy Muggle invention,' said Sirius in an awestruck tone, his voice almost a whisper. 'He's a fictional character from some story somewhere, and he sounds _really _strange. All the girls in the Muggle world know his name. Guess what it is.'

'Erm … Sirius Black?' Peter said questioningly.

'That's a really good answer,' Sirius beamed. 'But, Merlin, I'm not _that _conceited. Guess again.'

'Just tell me, please, Sirius.'

'Well … his name … is … Prince Charming! He comes from a fairy tale called … well, it was something to do with an umbrella.'

'A fairy tale about an _umbrella_?' Peter clarified. 'Wow … Muggles are weird. Even weirder than you when you get hyper from too much air.'

'I have a funny respiratory system, okay?' said Sirius grumpily. 'And today's the school dance, so I _should_ be hyper. I can't wait to scare all the girls in my Prince Charming costume.'

'He doesn't sound that scary.'

'Ah, _but_ … what he does is charm you into thinking he loves you and vice versa. Then, when you least expect it, _BAM_, he steals all your Butterbeer and runs off. Muahahahahahahaha!'

'Erm, Sirius … with all due respect … that sounds more like you.'

'NO way!' Sirius shouted. 'Yeah right! How? What bizarre world do you live in?'

'The one seemingly without you.' Peter blinked, confused.

'What's with the confused face?' Remus asked Peter, sitting down next to James who he had arrived with.

'Sirius is confusing me,' Peter wailed pitifully. 'He's talking about Prince Harmful from the Muggle fairy tale _Umbrella_. It'sconfusing!'

'Padfoot, leave Wormtail alone,' said James clearly. He reached for the butter knife.

'WHOA! Don't hurt me, Prongs!' Sirius shouted. 'I was just telling him who I'm going as for the dance today!'

'Sirius … it's a butter knife …'

'Exactly!'

It was James's turn to shake his head. He began spreading butter on his toast, muttering under his breath.

Remus, meanwhile, was lost. 'Prince Harmful? _Umbrella_? What on earth … Sirius, I think you're confused. Are you hyper again?'

'No, profane Moony; my respiratory system is _not_ playing up again. And if it was, you would know, 'cause you're clever, as you're Remus and Remuses generally know everything because they're so clever, so you would know, because you're a Remus and everyone knows all Remuses are clever, so you're clever, as we all know, because you're Remus, who everyone knows is clever and –'

'Sirius!' Remus burst. 'Shut up!'

'He's had an overdose again,' James said darkly. 'An overdose of air. What now?'

'Take me to the moon, the moon, THE MOOOOON! I want to go there, I want to go there now, I want to see if it's _really_ made of cheese, and if it is, I want to eat it; if it's not, I'm going to sink my teeth in it anyway, the moon, the mooooon, THE MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!'

'Sirius, calm down!' Remus half-shouted. 'James, seriously – what are we gonna do about him?'

'This calls for extreme measures,' said James in a flat tone. 'I'm sorry, Sirius, but we're going to have to … _send you to the naughty corner_.'

'What?' Sirius shouted in horror. 'NOOOOOOO! NOT THE NAUGHTY CORNER! I can't STAND another moment in there! Oh, please, James ol' buddy, ol' pal, ol' friend, _PLEASE _don't do this to me! The naughty corner … it's so dark … so cold … just so cold …'

'Then behave yourself.'

'NEVERRRRRR.'

'Sirius,' James said, as if he was speaking to a misbehaving five-year-old.

Sirius put a finger on his lip and stared down at his lap.

'Better,' James smiled.

Remus was still following his own train of thoughts. '… Prince Harmful? _Umbrella_?'

'Just leave it, Moony,' James advised.

'I'm sure he means Prince _Charming_ from _Cinderella_,' Lily said clearly. She was passing them on her way out. 'You should know, Remus, your mother's Muggle-born, isn't she?'

'Lily, Lily, _LILY_, thank MERLIN for Lily! She'll prove I'm not insane, she'll tell you all about the horrendous Prince Charming, she'll tell you, she'll tell you, SHE'LL TELL YOU!' Sirius burst, forgetting entirely about the naughty corner.

Lily raised a single eyebrow, ignoring Vanessa's smirk, before saying, 'Hyper on air again?'

'Yep,' said James flatly.

'Tried the naughty corner threat?'

'Yep.'

'Stuck now?'

'Yep.'

'Seeee ya.'

'Thanks.'

Lily and Vanessa left, the latter still smirking.

'Padfoot, cool it,' said James clearly.

'No, _no, NO_!' he shouted. He hopped up from the bench and held something in front of him, as if the sparkling, white object would defend him from his friends. 'I have a weapon and I am _not_ afraid to use it!'

'Sirius, mate …' James began, confused and unsure of how to break the news to his best friend, '… that's a lady's shoe.'

'I'm aware of that,' Sirius said in the same solemn tone, backing away from them. 'Prince Harmful took a shoe off some woman – this shoe is my prop. Now _back off_.'

'Sirius,' Remus said, struggling to keep his tone reasonable, 'if you return the shoe, we'll do nothing to you …'

'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!' he roared, before sprinting out of the Great Hall, running into many offended students and teachers along the way.

*.*.*

How the three other Marauders managed to return Sirius back to his normal state, neither Lily nor Vanessa knew, but what mattered was that he wasn't set to ruin the wonderful night. Well, not as much as he would have done if he was still "hyper on air".

Dinner had to be held early that day, as the Great Hall had to be emptied of students for Lily, James and helpful prefects to decorate at half-past six. They hadn't agreed on where the decorations should go, or what the decorations were going to be – the Marauders, after atypically requesting and gaining Dumbledore's permission, headed for Hogsmeade and brought back boxes and boxes of strange-looking merchandise.

The most frequently asked questions that evening all around the school were "James, where does this go?" and "Do I look all right in this?"

Indeed, Lily and the helpful prefects – every prefect besides the Slytherins – continuously asked a patient James where the decorations were going to go. Lily held up several animated, shrieking, wildly flapping bats, edging away from them as much as possible, keeping them at arm length.

'James?' she said in a voice a couple of octaves higher than usual. 'What do I do with these?'

James finished his conversation with a prefect and turned to face Lily. He immediately whipped out his wand and muttered, '_Immobulus_.' The bats instantly froze.

Lily smiled gratefully.

'Where should they go?' she asked.

James looked around the Great Hall

'How about up near the ceiling?' he suggested. 'There,' he added, pointing.

Lily withdrew her wand and clearly said, '_Wingardium_ _Leviosa_,' with a swish and flick of her wand.

The immobilised bats began to hover in the air and drift upwards near where James had said.

'A little to the left,' said James.

'I can't, they're too heavy,' Lily said, pain clear in her voice. 'This is _really_ hurting my wrist.'

James rushed by Lily. He held onto her wand arm from behind, his head hovering near her shoulder. With Lily still holding onto the wand, he directed Lily's soft, warm hand to the left and placed the stationary bats were he wanted. He then secured them to the wall and unfroze them.

All the while, Lily felt her heartbeat quicken, felt her cheeks fill with colour, felt James's warmth radiate onto her. Why?

'There,' he said easily, releasing his grip.

'Thanks,' she said embarrassedly.

'No problem.'

He simply turned his back to her and rushed off to help a Hufflepuff prefect who couldn't bear touching the "slimy gooey stuff".

For some reason, Lily felt a stab of an unknown emotion, as she watched James hold onto the girl's hand, and talk to her softly, trying to calm her down. This emotion, new to Lily, was beginning to make her stomach flip unpleasantly. She turned away and resumed decorating, her stomach burning with the strange emotion.

The fuss amongst the students that night, in the Gryffindor common room was just about enough to distract Lily. Girls were racing in and out of dormitories which didn't even belong to them, in search of spare earring backs or props to go with their costumes.

Lily was sat on her bed, watching Vanessa frantically rushing around their dormitory with amusement.

'WHAT are you _smiling _about?' Vanessa shrieked to Lily.

'Nessa, calm down,' said Cassie clearly. 'It's just a Hallowe'en dance. Caaaalm. Breath in … and out … and in … and –'

'It's _not_ flipping working, Cass!' Vanessa screeched. 'The dance starts in –' she consulted her watched '– half a flipping hour and I _can't find my other shoe_! Lily, what in the name of _Merlin _are you _doing_?'

'Erm … nothing,' said Lily blankly, blinking in confusion.

'_Exactly_!' Vanessa gasped. 'Quick, get a move on!'

'But –' Lily tried protesting.

'No buts.'

'Yeah, but –'

'GO, Lily! You've got the opening dance! You've got to get ready! Now!'

Lily groaned and grudgingly rose. She extracted her dress from the covering she had stored it in for safe keeping.

While she slipped into the dress, Vanessa had dragged Alice around to help look for the missing shoe. They searched high and low – well, under beds and on top of wardrobes, but still. Vanessa's elf costume would be incomplete without the sole shoe.

The boys' dormitories were only slightly less chaotic. There were several boys racing around door to door for spare socks, ties, etc. Even Sirius, who was normally composed (unless he was hyper), couldn't help but panic about his missing bow tie.

'It could be _anywhere_!' he said frantically. 'I could've dropped it in the depths of a chest of drawers or –'

'- or you could have accidentally fed it to _Humphrey_,' said Peter fearfully.

'Professor Kettleburn's missing Hippogriff?' Remus began inquisitively, searching underneath his bed for his black shoe polish.

'_Yes_,' Peter whispered, his eyes wide with fear.

'What –?'

'Don't ask,' James cut cleanly.

'Prongs!' Sirius gasped. 'What if I gave it to –?'

'Sirius!' James said exasperatedly – he had enough troubles doing up his tie. 'It's around your neck.'

Sirius backtracked, staring down in disbelief. He felt around his neck … and sure enough, he could feel the silk bow tie. How did that get there?

'I swear that wasn't there before,' he said coldly, freaked out.

'Doesn't matter, Prince Harmful, let's get a move on,' James said quickly. He left his tie hanging loosely around his neck, forgetting about it after finding Sirius's bow tie.

'Why?' Sirius half-shouted over the noise in the common room. 'Why do we have to get to the Great Hall so soon?'

'I've got to open the dance, remember?' James called back.

'What about Evans?'

'What about her?'

'You're supposed to wait for her.'

'Oh, yeah.'

The two waited, feeling silly in their costumes. Sirius was wearing a silky, periwinkle waistcoat over a white shirt. He wore a pair of matching trousers, too.

James, on the other hand, wore black – full black. But it complemented his hair. Admittedly, the blazer was making him feel hot, but it was well worth it. Was it that or the first dance of the night which was making him feel hot?

He was momentarily distracted from his thoughts when a certain someone tip toed casually down the stairs of the girls' dormitories, with the bottom of her dress held up slightly by her willowy hands. She was accompanied by a bright light – was that really a girl?

Vanessa Gills looked too beautiful to be herself, in Sirius's opinion. She was wearing a dazzlingly white dress, with harmonizing evening gloves. A chain of large flowers surrounded her head, and her hair was held in a sophisticated bun, with her tendrils in highly defined curls. She, too, had to lift up her dress slightly, so as to not trip down the stairs; Sirius couldn't help but notice how she only wore one shoe.

He whipped his wand out of his waistcoat's pocket and muttered, '_Accio Vanessa Gills' other shoe_.'

In a matter of seconds, Sirius saw what many others had missed – a brightly white shoe, appearing to fly in his direction. He caught it in one hand, earning a curious look from James, who, upon reflection, decided he didn't want to know what Sirius was doing.

Sirius grinned to himself. He dropped the shoe hastily next to himself, because Lily and Vanessa had just spotted them in the crowd and began making their way to them.

At the sight of James's loose tie, Lily tutted, shook her head, and grinned guiltily to herself.

'I know how to tie a tie and I don't even wear the school tie,' Lily laughed.

'Yeah, but this one's hard,' said James sulkily.

Lily shook her head again and took off James's tie. She wrapped it around the collar of his neck and began fumbling around, trying to conceal her grin. All the while, James couldn't help but stare down at pretty face, deep in concentration.

'There,' she said happily. 'Are you ready to go?'

'Yep,' he smiled.

Meanwhile, Vanessa was staring around the common room, as though she found every little detail interesting.

'I believe this is yours,' Sirius said in a deep, gentleman-like voice.

He held up Vanessa's shoe. She beamed widely, until she realised who she was beaming at.

'Yes, thank you,' she said in a dignified voice.

Sirius did something Vanessa never would have thought he would do: he bent down on his knee and proposed to her. Well, no, he bent down on his knee and slipped the shoe on her petite foot. But still, Vanessa couldn't believe it.

'Erm … thanks,' she said, confused.

'No problem,' he said, embarrassed, as he stood up, examining the tiniest details of the room along with Vanessa.

'Okay, let's go,' James said finally, he and Lily missing the exchange between their friends.

He held out his hand to Lily; laughing ever so slightly, she took it and walked out of the common room with him.

'You look beautiful, by the way,' he complimented.

'Thank you,' Lily said sweetly. 'You're looking rather good yourself.'

They simultaneously burst out laughing, savouring the peaceful moment.

* * *

Monday 31st October 1977


	14. A Fairy Flying By

- Chapter Fourteen -

~ A Fairy Flying By ~

Lily had to admit, after paying her two sickles to enter, that the Great Hall looked spectacular. There were orange and black tinsel-like decorations hanging on the ceiling, stuck with fake bats, flapping wildly, but unable to move. The Hall was lit with dim, green-tinted lanterns, and music reverberated within. The refreshment tables were pushed against the walls, so as to give more room for the much-anticipated dancing.

Some of the Chief Guests, Lily saw, were standing in a huddle off the centre of the Hall. She led James, Sirius and Vanessa over to them to greet and welcome them.

'Hi, I'm Lily Evans,' she said boldly, holding out her hand to Lester Heaney, the Captain of the Irish Quidditch team. 'This is James Potter –' James nodded his head coldly, '– Sirius Black –' Sirius grinned, '– and Vanessa Gills.'

'Pleasure to meet you all,' Lester said warmly, shaking Lily's hand and beaming his wide beam, revealing dazzlingly white teeth.

They continued shaking hands several seconds afterwards, Lily bedazzled by Lester's face. James coughed loudly, probably in an attempt to remind Lily of his existence. She immediately snatched back her hand, as though Lester was on fire.

Lily wasn't the only one all gooey-eyed for him; Vanessa was still taking in Lester's muscular figure, his beautiful, swishy, blond hair, his cute smile –

A musical 'hello' broke Vanessa's reverie. The beautiful sound came from Selena Warbeck.

'Wow,' Vanessa said blankly, blinking. 'You're going to be singing tonight, aren't you?'

Selena nodded her beautiful head.

'Hi,' James said softly, holding out his hand. 'I'm James Potter. I'll be your server tonight.'

Selena laughed and allowed James to kiss her hand. 'Quite the handsome joker you are, aren't you? Ah, wait! You're James Potter and Sirius Black – the pair of jokers my cousin talks about so often!'

'Who's your cousin?' James asked interestedly, still holding her hand.

'She owns the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade,' Selena smiled.

'OH!' James half-shouted. 'Madam Rosmerta?'

'Indeed,' Selena said.

'I see the resemblance,' James joked.

It was Lily's turn to cough pointedly.

James snatched his hand back rather slowly; Sirius and Vanessa smirked.

'_Any_way,' Lily said, 'where's Stanley the Skeleton and co?'

James and Sirius looked around from side to side. Vanessa gasped and said, 'Oh, no! We've got _skeletons_ loose in the school?'

'Nessa, they're safe,' Lily said reassuringly.

'Yes,' Vanessa said, 'but _we're _not!'

'It's not like they can eat you or anything,' said Sirius casually.

Vanessa paled and stood stiff instantly.

'Nessa, they don't even eat!' Lily said a little impatiently, shocked at Vanessa's little knowledge. 'That's common sense.' She was a little embarrassed by her friend.

Before Vanessa could reply, a spine-quivering, bone-chilling, deep, evil laugh echoed around the room. A laugh so cold, it made even the hairs on Sirius's arm stand on end.

The little light there was, was extinguished, following gasps and squeals from the crowd.

The doors of the Great Hall eerily creaked open, revealing cracks of light. The evil laugh sounded again.

Vanessa instantly held tightly onto Sirius, closing her eyes and squealing rapidly under her breath. Even Sirius didn't notice he was clutching onto Vanessa with more force than necessary.

'Presenting,' the voice said, deep and clear, 'Staaaaaaaaanley the _Skeleton_ and co!'

The lights were re-lit and many students – witches in particular – sighed in relief and began laughing. Someone had started a round of applause and a tremendous amount of cheering.

Vanessa, however, realised what she had done and was doing, and immediately released Sirius, her cheeks reddening. It was Lily and James's turn to smirk.

There were about fifteen skeletons, excluding their head, Stanley, who entered the Great Hall, just then, looking around impressively. They suddenly broke into song:

'_We are spooky skeletons,  
Like the evil one inside of you.  
We sleep and walk,  
We scare with our talk  
And have you screaming, too._

_Our heads stand on our shoulders,  
Our necks between the two,  
We've got no eyes, no nose and no ears,  
Just to frighten you._

_We're skeletons, your enemies, you'll soon realise,  
We're here to take over your school, so be afraid of us!_

_We've got bony bodies,  
As it clearly shows,  
Two bony legs, two bony feet  
And ten tiny bony toes._

_We've each got two big bony knees  
To help us sit or stand,  
Five bony little fingers  
Are on each big bony hand._

_We're skeletons, your enemies, you'll soon realise,  
We're here to take over your school, so be afraid of us!_

_We're skeletons, your enemies, you'll soon realise,  
We're here to take over your school, so be afraid of us!'_

An enthusiastic applause followed, with some howls and whistles from the students.

'WOOOOO!' Sirius shouted, louder than the crowd.

Vanessa glared at him, her arms folded.

Lily smiled at her, knowing what was going through her mind. 'Nessa, they're only joking. They're here to entertain, not for you to be afraid of them.'

Vanessa glared at the wall opposite her; Lily, James and Sirius smirked to themselves.

Dumbledore stood up in front throne at the opposite end of the Great Hall just then; the babble subsided almost immediately.

'After that highly entertaining entrance, I would like to call the first couple to the dance floor,' he said clearly. 'They know who they are. Come now, we're all waiting,' he added, when Lily, shy, stayed fixed to where she was. After about ten seconds, she moved – but to fiddle with her hair.

'Come on, Lily,' James breathed. 'We're in this one together – you fall, I'm there to catch you. It's only a dance.'

Lily swallowed hardly, her breathing uneven.

'My first dance –' she began.

'Don't worry, it'll go okay.' He extended a hand towards her.

'Yeah, but no, but to have it with _you_.'

James's hand immediately dropped, and Lily realised what she had said.

'No, but yeah, but what I _mean _is –' Lily tried explaining.

'Just go,' Vanessa said wearily, giving her friend a shove in James's direction.

Lily offered her quivering hand to him, which he took somewhat unwillingly, his hazel eyes betraying hurt. He led them to the centre of the Hall, where a crowd full of shocked faces made way for them.

Some of the green lights turned scarlet, and the music began playing, soft and slow with Selena Warbeck's soothing voice occasionally going 'ooh' over it.

James gently grasped Lily's right hand with his left and held it up so it was level with his shoulder. He then placed Lily's limp left arm on his shoulder, and began steering the two backwards and forwards, left and right, with the occasional graceful twirl. It didn't seem too bad.

It was.

Lily felt herself liking the warmth and softness of James's hand, felt her tummy tingle from the moment he touched her, felt herself _enjoying_ her first dance – with _James Potter_. And he was actually quite good at this.

As much as she tried to avoid James's eyes, staring from green light to red light, from decoration to decoration, his eyes still managed to captivate Lily's, but for how long, she neither knew nor cared. She could easily read the promise of her safety in his hands for the whole dance; she completely forgot that they were in the middle of a crowded hall, full of students andadults watching with an air of interest, breaking many hearts.

In fact, she didn't remember until she heard Sirius whisper audibly to Vanessa, 'Check them out.'

Lily immediately turned to look at him, at the hundreds of people watching them, some of whom had their jaws dropped.

James momentarily removed his left hand from her waist to softly redirect her chin back so that she was again looking at him.

'Don't,' he said firmly, but quietly. 'Ignore him.'

Under his reassuring gaze, Lily automatically nodded, and kept facing towards him – she now had a reason to look at him and not turn away.

She had never noticed how good-looking James really was; she was too caught up in disliking, almost loathing him. His untidy hair suddenly appealed her, his protective charm likewise.

Lily Evans mentally admitted that James was good-looking? But Lily couldn't mull on this much longer – the floor was finally getting invaded by others.

Lily and James watched, with amusement, Dumbledore pulling McGonagall to the floor and Professor Sprout with Professor Flitwick. To Sirius's content, Darktoff seemed to be the only teacher without a dance.

When the song ended, there was a light scatter of applause, which Lily took to be her cue to get off the dance floor sharp and find Vanessa.

'She was _right_ here,' Lily said crossly. 'Black, where did she go?'

'… iunno,' was Sirius's helpful response.

Lily rolled her eyes and made to walk away, when something was tugged on her, pulling her back.

James's watch had gotten caught on Lily's wing.

'Oh, no,' she moaned quietly.

'Don't worry, I've got it,' James said in an even quieter voice, fiddling with the knot created. Lily assumed he still hadn't forgiven her.

'Thanks,' she mumbled, embarrassed, before setting out to find Vanessa on her own.

'I will never understand girls,' Sirius said easily, shaking his head and helping himself to some pumpkin juice.

'Hm?'

'Well … Lily looked like she was having a great time over there – with you – and now she's acting like it didn't happen, and …' Sirius said. 'Girls are _so_ _confusing_! Prongs, I'm confused.'

'Mate,' James sighed, clapping a hand on Sirius's shoulder 'if you _ever_ find any answers, tell me.'

'If I live that long,' Sirius muttered darkly.

'It's not that hard,' Vanessa said clearly, appearing from behind them with her chocolate frog – Sirius jumped.

'Oh?' Sirius said, raising his eyebrows.

'Lily's looking for you, by the way,' James threw in. 'She was wondering where you went.'

'I just went to get a Chocolate Frog …' she said blankly. 'Anyway, Lily obviously _was_ having a good time, but she didn't want to admit it, because she's not only confused about her feelings, _but_ this is _James Potter_, a boy – sorry, man – who she _never_ thought she'd even like, so she _naturally_ doesn't want to like him and she's trying to _prevent_ it by keeping her distance from you, James, with the hope that you'll get bored and leave her alone eventually.'

She said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'… huh?' Sirius said. 'Mind saying that slower?'

'_Basically_,' Vanessa snapped, 'she doesn't want to like James, although she can't deny she does, because –'

'Okay, understood!' Sirius said hurriedly.

Vanessa rolled her eyes.

'Fancy finding Lily?' James said, trying (and failing) to sound casual.

'We all know _you_ do,' Vanessa grinned.

'Prongs, what about Moony and Wormtail?' Sirius reminded him. 'I saw them somewhere … while you and Evans were dancing,' he said, searching the Great Hall on tip toes.

'Padfoot,' James said in a hushed voice, 'I think it's his time of the month … full moon.'

'_Again_?' Vanessa gasped.

'Yes,' James said slowly. 'Once a _month_.'

It was Sirius who found Lily and Remus – surrounded by first-, second- and third-years, all of whom were eager to play some sort of a game. Sirius dragged James to where Lily and Remus were; Vanessa tagged along, getting caught up in the crowd.

'… no, you _spin the bottle_, and whoever it lands on has to _choose_ between a truth or dare,' they heard Lily explain.

'OH!' a first-year squeaked. 'That's why it's called _Dare the Bottle_.'

'No, dumbnut,' a hard-voice third-year said harshly. 'It's called _Dare the Truth_.'

Lily grinned and said, 'Whatever you like.'

She then turned around and said to Remus, 'Thank Merlin that's over.'

The two laughed cosily until they saw James, Sirius and Vanessa.

'Hi, guys,' Remus said brightly. 'Lily was just teaching me how to play _Dare the Truth_. I mean, _Dare the Bottle_. No, I mean … _Truth or Dare_!'

'Sounds interesting,' James said mildly. 'Moony, we need to get you out of here. Sharp.'

'Why?' he said innocently, his grin fading.

'Moony,' Sirius said darkly, 'it's full moon tonight – you're in a hall full of vulnerable people, students and adults alike –'

'But I've got time,' Remus said, checking his wristwatch.

'That's a little bit out of character,' Sirius frowned. 'I'm arguing in your place and you in mine.'

'I know, right?' Vanessa said quietly. 'Remus, I think you should go … if something happens …'

'Nothing's going to happen, Vanessa,' Remus said jovially.

'What _if_ something happens -?'

'But _nothing _will happen.'

'But what _if_ -?'

'Remus, I hate to say this, but …' said Lily cautiously, 'what if we have another Aaliyah?'

She knew him well, she knew that phrase would hurt him deeply, but she knew it would be the only thing which would work. Remus winced as though he had received a static shock. He gave Lily an agonised stare as he, James and Sirius began to make their way out of the Great Hall. But before they could reach the door, a shout was heard, Sirius's, perhaps.

Lily stood on the balls of her feet to get a better view, but everyone was crowding around. The music had ceased and the hubbub diminished; the Skeleton crew's trick, perhaps.

The lights suddenly blew out all at once; the trick was getting spookier and spookier. The sound of something tearing echoed in the Great Hall, loud and clear; maybe someone had been holding on too hard to a table cloth out of fear. That sounded like something Vanessa would do.

And then … a growl, menacing and bloodcurdling, deep and hair-lifting.

Vanessa clutched onto Lily's arm so tightly that the latter flinched, but was still staring towards the door, although, due to the darkness, she could see nothing. In a clap of thunder and lightning, Lily saw three figures wrestling. In the second clap of thunder and lightning, Lily saw nothing in the same place.

The growl sounded again, followed by ear-splitting screams and shouts. Lily and Vanessa felt themselves being pushed in contrasting directions, until a voice recognised as Dumbledore's called for silence.

The lights were re-lit and everyone froze again – Dumbledore was _chuckling_.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, Ghosts and other beings,' he said, beaming, 'I hope you enjoyed my little surprise to you all. Indeed …'

While he spoke on, Vanessa hurriedly turned to look at the door of the Great Hall. They were closed, and James, Sirius and Moony were nowhere to be found.

'Lily,' Vanessa whispered, but Lily was paying attention to Dumbledore. 'Lily,' she repeated, tugging on her friend's arm. 'Lily, they're nowhere to be found.'

'Good,' Lily whispered back.

'But what if they're in the crowd?' Vanessa hissed frantically.

'They'd stand out,' Lily breathed. 'A werewolf and two boys – how easy can it be to blend in?'

'I think we should find them,' said Vanessa flatly when Dumbledore had finished talking.

His little "surprise" had earned a round of applause.

'I think we shouldn't.'

'I think we should.'

'Should what – let that whole thing with Aaliyah happen to us?'

'There you go again, playing the Aaliyah card,' Vanessa said crossly, but she argued no more.

'Can I have your attention, please?' McGonagall said in her crispy voice, tapping her goblet with a spoon. 'We will be announcing the Hallowe'en Prince and Princess later. Remember, the candidates are only for fifth-years and above, so if you're too young, you cannot enter – I know what year you're all in.'

'She sounds like a creepy stalker,' Vanessa said in a hushed voice. 'What's next? "I know where you live".'

'She probably does,' said Lily lightly.

'Hey – we've got to find James – for the Hallowe'en Prince! You two would just be _so_ good tog –'

'No. Way,' said Lily flatly. 'There is _no way _I am going to become a Hallowe'en Princess – especially not with James. There are _so_ many other more glamorous girls who –'

'Are extremely stuck up and have neither brains nor personality, only appearance.'

'But this is what it's all about,' Lily argued. 'It's all about who's got the best outfit – and me in this –'

Lily looked down at herself. She quite liked her scarlet silk dress, what with the pretty ornamental roses and gems on the top half and the simplicity of the bottom half. Her maroon wings also added to the graceful fairy effect, and the colours went well with Lily's hair, but still –

'JamesPotter, Nessa.'

'You had a nice time with him out on the floor,' she said cheekily, and, with a wink, she left Lily to her extremely confused feelings.

'Ah, Miss Evans,' Professor McGonagall said, trying to get through some students. 'You don't appear to be doing much. Can you please go downstairs to the kitchen and see what is going on down there – the house-elves need to bring in more snacks, but they're not.'

'Yes, Professor,' said Lily obediently.

'Thank you, Miss Evans.'

On her way down, Peter walked straight into Lily.

'L – L – Lily, I'm so sorry,' he mumbled frantically. 'Do you know where the others are? I've got an idea, but that's it.'

'If I knew, you know I would tell you,' said Lily gravely.

Peter seemed to be thinking hard about what Lily had said, as though he was trying to decode a new language. 'If you knew, you know I would … if you knew … you know you would … if you knew, I know you would tell me? Does that make sense?'

Lily rolled her eyes and made off. She was pleased to see many students had dressed up rather enthusiastically; she saw someone dressed up as the curly-haired heroine, Amata, from _The Tales of Beedle the Bard – The Fountain of Fair Fortune_, and the Greek God, Neptune, and even a banshee, skeletal, pale and with long, dark hair.

'Great Banshee outfit, Erin,' Lily called, smiling widely.

'… it's not an outfit …' Erin replied. 'All I did was dab on loads of eye liner.'

'Er … erm … er …' Lily ended up just walking away, blushing deeply.

She managed to bump into Alice and Cassie, who looked as though they were having tons of fun – well, at least Cassie was; she was surrounded by boys, boys and more boys.

'All right, love?' Cassie called.

'Mm,' Lily replied. 'What're you guys doing?'

'Having the time of my life,' Cassie replied, tipping Lily an unnecessarily enormous wink. 'I owe you one, Lils.'

'Having the worst time ever,' said Alice sulkily.

Lily wanted to continue with the favour McGonagall had delegated, but her friend-in-need senses were tingling.

'Why, what's up?' she asked.

'It's Adam,' Alice replied sadly. 'You know that Ravenclaw boy? Well, Frank said it would be all right if I had a dance for tonight, and I want him.'

'Then go up to him and –' Lily began, but Alice interrupted.

'I swear, James is rubbing off on you,' she said, frowning. 'That's such a Potter approach.'

Lily blushed slightly. But then perked up immediately. It was like a candle had flickered above her head – she had a great idea.

'… what's up with that smile?' said Alice cautiously.

'Oh … nothing,' Lily said a little too innocently.

'I don't like it – tell me what you're thinking. Now.'

*.*.*

The house-elves backed away in fear as the werewolf growled again. Moony leaped forward at a house-elf which squealed, panicked and Disapparated, reappearing as far from the werewolf as she could manage.

The dog bounded forwards and knocked the werewolf over, growling fiercer still. It was lucky one of the elves had cast an Imperturbable Charm on the doors and walls.

Moony, outraged, roared like a lion, a furious lion. He leapt up with enough force to throw Padfoot off him. Prongs galloped out of nowhere. He head butted the werewolf with enough strength to knock it over.

Moony roared yet again.

In the depths of the kitchen, a little something was scurrying around, screeching the occasional, 'EEEK'. When it wasn't doing this, it was nibbling on the food the house-elves were preparing; teeth marks were visible on the cheese and crackers. Typical Wormtail. Amidst the trouble his friends were going through, he could only scuttle around and eat.

*.*.*

'Attention, please,' said Professor McGonagall, crystal clear.

Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat and said, 'Can you all please get into groups of sixteen – eight ladies, eight gentlemen.'

'Why?' a Slytherin called from the crowd.

'Miss Evans came up with the most marvellous idea,' Dumbledore said cheerfully. 'In groups of sixteen, we shall do the Clockwise Dance. Allow me to explain for some confused students – please forgive me if you're already knowledgeable in this dance.

'The Clockwise Dance requires eight gentlemen in a large circle with eight ladies,' Dumbledore explained. 'The dance between a pair will last for a certain amount of time – when the word "change" or some variation is shouted, the lady must then move on to the next man in the circle, and so on, until she returns to her original dance.'

A murmur of understanding was scattered amongst the crowd – followed by scrapings of chairs and shouts of, 'Come over here! Over here!', as people realised they were supposed to be getting in groups.

'Lily, you're a _genius_,' said Alice fervently, awestruck as she gazed at her group. She was with Amelia Bones, an irritating Hufflepuff, Cassie, Lily (of course), a sixth-year Gryffindor girl, Vanessa and a girl she didn't recognise. Then there were the boys – Evan Rosier, Adam, Severus Snape (much to Lily's distaste), and a boy she didn't recognise. Alice was glad to see the girls Adam was previously dancing with had disappeared.

'Four boys?' Cassie said, annoyed.

'Yeah, we want the Marauders,' said Alice. 'Where are they?'

'Well, for now, four of us girls can sit out,' said Lily. 'I need to go down to the kitchen, anyway – I still haven't done what McGonagall had asked me to do.'

'Fair enough,' said Cassie, shrugging.

'Wait, what – why – what?' said Vanessa quickly.

'… what?' Lily blinked in confusion.

'Not the Marauders!' Vanessa said horrifically.

'It'll be okay,' Lily smiled. 'Sirius won't … it's one dance, Nessa, come on. For Alice?'

'Oh, fine,' she said sulkily.

After instructing her friends to keep an eye out for the Marauders, Lily left for the kitchens – where Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were …

She crept to the kitchen and creaked the door open slightly.

'Is there a problem down here?' she said, poking her head in.

She saw such as sight that she jumped slightly in surprise and hit her head hard on the door.

* * *

Monday 31st October 1977

**A/N: Try saying this at normal/fast speed: Irish Wristwatch. Can't say it? Try this: Irish Ristwatch. I was completely thrown at first :')**


	15. Spin the Truth

- Chapter Fifteen -

~ Spin the Truth ~

'_What_ in the name of Merlin's beard are you four doing down here in the kitchen?' Lily gasped, half-covering her mouth with her hand.

'… huh?' said James blankly.

'Pigging out, of course,' said Sirius easily, stuffing a whole orange-iced chocolate muffin in his mouth.

'_Everyone_'s looking for you in the Great Hall!' she exclaimed. 'And you've been … down here and … where did you disappear off to when Remus was … changing?'

James raised his eyebrows, as though Lily was missing out on something extremely obvious.

'_Here_?' she spluttered, catching on. 'No wonder McGonagall said the house-elves weren't doing their jobs properly! Right, all of you upstairs,' she said crossly. 'Remus, I expected better from you.'

Remus didn't bother arguing. Hanging his head down low, he led the others out of the kitchen. Lily vaguely heard Sirius sulkily mutter, 'Prongs, your girlfriend's gay.'

She spluttered again, but let it drop, and followed them out, thinking …

_It was a cold and blustery winter's night, but it didn't matter as Lily was in the fireplace-lit Gryffindor common room. It felt slightly strange, vaguely watching trees sway with the ferocious wind, but not feeling affected at all._

_Lily didn't know what the time was, but she knew it was late – she found she was the last person in the common room. But she _had_ to get this work done – what if she couldn't finish it in the following seven days?_

_Deciding that an essay roughly a foot and a half long would be enough for Professor Binns, Lily stood up, stretched, and was about to head off to the girls' dormitories, when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open, and a lot of loud jeering became heard clearly._

_Who else could it have been besides the Marauders? Sirius and James were typically the loudest, roaring with laughter at a joke that wasn't funny._

'_Black, Potter, keep it down, please' said Lily wearily. 'Some people are trying to get to sleep.'_

'_Then they should wake up!' said Sirius cheerfully._

'_Or you should shut up,' Lily snapped._

_Sirius turned to James, just as James turned to Sirius, and, simultaneously, they turned back to Lily and said, 'Nnnnno. Not gonna happen.'_

'_You four are already breaking rules, wondering around school past curfew,' Lily pointed out. 'Don't push it.'_

'_What're you gonna do?' Sirius challenged, grinning widely. 'Put us in detention, Miss Perfect Prefect? Take points off Gryffindor? Write to Mama?'_

'_Put both of you in detention,' Lily whispered._

_Sirius and James burst out laughing._

'_As if detentions have any effect on us!' Sirius half-shouted._

'_ONN Saturday morning until the afternoon,' Lily finished, satisfied._

_Sirius's grin was quickly replaced by a grimace of horror._

'_WHAT?' he shouted. 'You can't _do_ that! That's pure evil!'_

'_You were asking for it,' Lily smiled innocently. 'Your fault.'_

'_You're evil!'_

'_You said detentions hardly have an effect on you,' Lily reminded him. 'So I thought –'_

'_You know full well I've got a date with the school's _hottest _girl on Saturday!' Sirius exclaimed, beginning to get angry. 'Michelle doesn't date just _anyone_, but –'_

'_Black,' Lily sighed, 'she's a pretty seventh-year – she can get just about any guy in this school she wants. Besides the clever ones, of course.'_

'_Are you calling her dumb?'_

_Lily rolled her eyes. 'I'm calling Michelle _and_ you dumb, genius.'_

'_Oh …'_

'_Okay, the Astronomy tower at about eleven in the morning,' Lily said, about to go upstairs again._

'_I've got this one,' James muttered to Sirius._

_He caught up to Lily before she set foot on the stairs and said, 'I can see you.'_

_Lily blinked in confusion. 'Yes … you can …' she said slowly, as though in fear of James's insanity._

'_Great!' he grinned widely. 'How about Saturday at eleven am?'_

'_What? No!'_

'_You said I can see you,' said James sadly._

'_Yeah, but – no, but – argh! Potter, just go away.'_

'_No detentions?' James grinned._

'_FINE.'_

Lily shook her head to herself now, smiling.

They were back in the Great Hall, and the crowd had thinned down ever so slightly – it appeared that McGonagall had ushered away all of the first-years.

'Good,' Sirius muttered. 'Can't stand 'em.'

'You were one once,' Remus reminded him.

'Still am, by heart,' said Sirius proudly.

'And brain,' Lily added.

'Hey!'

They all began laughing, and once they started, it was hard to stop; that's what the mood was like in the Great Hall.

'What now?' Remus smiled after a while.

'Oh!' Lily said, remembering. 'We were doing a circle waltz type thing and we need you four to complete our circle – we had to get into groups of about sixteen.'

She briefly explained the dance to the Marauders, while doubting Sirius knew what a dance was.

Lily's delight for Alice and Adam dancing together was tinged by her annoyance at the other pairs: the unknown girl and boy were together; poor Peter ended up being picked on by the irritating Hufflepuff; Evan Rosier had basically stolen Amelia Bones from Remus, who then had to dance with Cassie; a sixth-year Gryffindor girl had chosen Severus Snape, which, predictably, left Lily, James, Sirius and Vanessa.

Lily and Vanessa exchanged pointed looks to each other, and began urgently shaking heads, and then exchanged more meaningful looks.

'Erm … is your highly distinctive look-swapping thing getting anywhere?' Sirius interrupted. ''Cause we need to pick a partner – they're going to start the music, soon.'

'We're going to have to dance with each other, anyway,' Lily sighed.

Sirius made a strange, 'Pfft,' sound at that, which Lily had no idea of what the meaning was.

She held onto James's warm hand, and dragged him to the floor. With Sirius and Vanessa by their side, the circle was complete.

'OOOOK, folks,' someone shouted into a megaphone. 'We're going to start the dance. With every shout of "change", the girl must twirl to the gentleman on _her left_, remember.'

And the music began. It was more of an upbeat song than Lily had expected, but she found she liked it. A smile slowly unfurled on her face, and she stopped caring about the firmness of James's hold on her.

She enjoyed spinning to Sirius, just like Vanessa enjoyed leaving Sirius, even though that meant dancing with the king of the greasy-haired, also known as Severus Snape.

When Sirius practically threw Lily to Severus, she wasn't as happy – and neither was James, by the look of his cold and empty face. She stared down at her feet as he steered. She didn't like feeling the intensity with which he gazed at her; it was a relief to be passed on. Amusingly enough, the unknown girl Lily now knew was in Slytherin gave Lily evils whenever they caught each others' eyes, until Lily spun to Rosier, who unpleasantly stunk of fish and stale olives.

After Lily most gratefully danced to Remus, she couldn't help but feel a stab of a painful emotion when she saw the Slytherin girl with James, looking wicked.

All in all, she was glad when she was back to dancing with James, her last dance for the night – she was exhausted beyond words.

'That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be,' said Vanessa happily, smiling.

Lily mentally noted how Vanessa was quick to ditch Sirius and join her, Alice and Cassie at the drinks table.

'What now?' Alice smiled, trying to hide how content she was.

'Okay, tell us what you're thinking,' said Cassie in a resigned tone.

'AMAZING!' she burst. 'He was a GREAT dancer, and – and – and he was just AMAZING! EEEEEEEEK! I love you, Lily!'

Alice embraced Lily, almost choking the latter.

'It's okay, Alice,' Lily choked, weakly patting Alice on the back. 'You – you can let go now. No, really.'

Alice let go reluctantly, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. 'EEEEK!'

'Shurrup, Alice, you sound like a rat,' Cassie grinned.

'Does, actually,' said Peter mildly, trying to act aloof with his mug of butterbeer.

'How would you know, Pete? You're probably too much of a wimp to go near one,' Cassie teased.

Peter was about to open his mouth to argue back, when Sirius, appearing from behind, stamped on his foot with more force than necessary.

'Ouch!' Peter squealed.

'Say nothing,' Sirius muttered for his friend's ears only.

Lily smiled to herself and decided to change the subject. She gazed around the Great Hall at all of the busy and excited students, and laughed at a sight she clearly found amusing: a crowd of boys were in the corner of the Great Hall, frequently throwing looks of deepest loathing to none other than Lester Heaney, who had found himself surrounded by a gaggle of gushing girls.

Her eyes then flew around the rest of the Great Hall.

'Hey,' Lily said softly. 'Who wants to play _Truth or Dare_? Come on, just us –' she performed a quick head count '– eight. It'll be fun,' she added with a small smile.

Sirius shrugged. 'I will if Prongs will.'

'Yeah,' James grinned.

After those two, everyone else agreed with faint murmurs. Lily beamed and led them to where the empty bottle was lying.

They all kneeled down in a perfect circle, kind of tight, but that didn't seem to matter as they were eager to start the game.

Sirius decided he should spin the bottle first. His spinning technique was so effective that the bottle continued spinning longer than Vanessa liked.

'Come _on_,' she grumbled. 'Hurry up already.'

Ironically, the bottle stopped, pointing to Vanessa. She let out a light sigh and said, 'Right, who's testing me?'

'Sirius – he spun the bottle,' Lily said.

Vanessa looked like she wanted to complain, but thought better of it. She stared directly at Sirius, who was opposite her, before saying, 'I'll take the truth.'

Sirius grinned wickedly, and pondered for moments afterwards. He then said, 'Out of all your previous boyfriends –' Vanessa groaned '- who was the best kisser?'

Vanessa immediately answered, 'Not you,' and spun the bottle. It slowed down quite quickly, and landed on … James. He kept a composed face while saying, 'Truth.'

'Ah, come on, Prongs!' Sirius said. 'Take the dare!'

'Fine,' he agreed, rolling his eyes.

Sirius's wicked grin appeared on Vanessa's face. She stared from James to Lily, who was right next to James, and back to the latter. In a low voice, she then said, 'I dare you to kiss Lily. On the lips. For five seconds, minimum.'

It was so predictable – Lily should've known. She gasped in shock, her mouth hanging open.

'Nessa!' she squealed. 'That's – you can't do that!'

'Why?'

'No, just no, Nessa! You can't subject _me_ to the dare as well.'

'That's not good enough a reason,' Vanessa smirked. 'Get lip-locking, you two.'

Lily continued to wordlessly argue, but it was no use. James merely sat in silence, as though he was shy. He didn't look happy, but he didn't look unwilling.

Lily let out a deep sigh of resignation. Hating herself – and Vanessa more so – she turned to James and closed her eyes, as if she was in pain. She tightly shut her eyes and leaned in towards him slowly, relaxing with every passing millisecond. She found she liked his warm breath, his unique scent, his incredibly soft lips on hers …

When they broke apart, she found herself still leaning in like an idiot. Thankfully, only James noticed: he smirked and turned away. Sirius was annoyingly wolf-whistling while Vanessa applauded.

Grinning, James took the bottle and spun it. Just as the bottle was slowing down, some third-years (probably playing _Kiss Chase_ by the looks of it) had run through the circle the seventh-years and formed and knocked the bottle over; it came to a halt in front of Cassie.

'That's not fair,' Cassie said immediately. 'Those Hufflepuffs knocked the bottle out of the way.'

'Still landed on you,' said Sirius flatly.

'It could've landed on any of us!'

'It could've landed on any of us in the first place,' Remus pointed out.

'I demand we spin the bottle again,' said Cassie stubbornly.

'I demand you choose between a truth or dare,' Sirius argued.

Knowing how large the argument would be if they continued, James intervened before Lily could open her mouth.

'We'll all choose between a truth or dare,' he said quickly. 'The person on the right to the victim will determine what the truth or dare will be.'

Lily groaned again; this would mean James would have to get the truth or give Lily a dare. This was so unfair.

'Okay, Lily …' said Cassie, taking a deep breath. 'Dare me.'

'I dare _you_ … to … go up to McGonagall and tell her she looks like a Pygmy Puff in purple,' said Lily.

Sirius burst out laughing. 'Is that the best you could do, Evans?' he scoffed.

Cassie, relieved, stood up and approached McGonagall easily. To James, who could hear neither Cassie nor the Transfiguration teacher, the scene looked odd: Cassie said something into McGonagall's ear, and the latter's face was contorted in rage. McGonagall shouted words they couldn't hear, and Cassie left a moment later, clearly trying to bite back a laugh.

'What happened?' Alice asked, leaning in.

'She gave me a week's detention when school reopens,' said Cassie, shaking with suppressed laughter. 'But her _face_ – priceless!'

Sirius grinned appreciatively at Lily.

Next, Cassie dared Alice to find and kiss Adam; this took a lot of persuasion, and cunningness on Cassie's half.

Alice danced up to Adam, who was by the drinks table. She tapped his shoulder, making him turn around. He seemed surprised to see Alice, who stood on tip-toes and planted a kiss on his lips. Even after she danced away, squealing, he was leaning in with the same look of confusion spread across his face.

'Done,' she said in a high-pitched voice to Cassie. 'My turn to dare Nessa!'

'This'll be easy,' Vanessa smirked, overconfident.

'You've just jinxed yourself,' said a comfortingly familiar voice, awkwardly distant.

Lily felt a gust of wind around her hair and neck, giving her goosebumps. She shivered slightly, but said nothing. She looked around for an open window, but all windows were sealed, and the doors were closed.

'What's wrong, Lils?' said James softly, so that only she and Sirius could here.

'Nothing,' Lily smiled, noticing the use of her nickname. 'Just a little bit chilly. Where did that breeze come from?'

'What breeze?' James asked, looking at her as if she was mad. 'You can borrow my –'

'No. Thanks,' she said with a smile. 'That breeze – the one that was coming from behind us.'

'I didn't feel it,' he said blankly, blinking. He turned questioningly to Sirius.

'I didn't either,' Sirius said. 'Lily, I think you're –'

'_Don't_ say it,' Lily grinned.

They turned their attention back to the game; Vanessa had already done her dare, which was to run a length of the Great Hall, screaming, 'GHOOOSTS! There are GHOOOOOSTS HERE! EVERYBODY RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIVES! GHOOOOSTS!'

A few ghosts, including Nearly Headless Nick, looked highly offended, only adding to the hilariousness of the situation. Now Vanessa had to dare Remus, who had his eyes closed and was muttering soundlessly now.

'Why did you even choose the dare, Remus?' Sirius asked, stumped.

'Bear in mind, Vanessa,' Remus said, ignoring Sirius, 'I'm not feeling too well tonight … if you get what I mean …'

'Oh, I'll go easy on you,' Vanessa said reluctantly.

'Whose definition of easy?'

Vanessa tutted and told Remus to relax; he didn't like how her eyebrows were knitted together in deep thought.

Finally, she said, 'Okay, Remus, _I _dare _you_ to go ask Lester Heaney for an autograph! And tell him it's for you, your name's Vanessa, and you think he's extremely handsome.'

'Of all the things you could have me doing …' Remus muttered under his breath, standing up and searching the Hall for the famous Quidditch player. 'Of all the things you could've thought up of …'

'She chooses to humiliate you,' Sirius grinned.

Remus gave Sirius a little slap on the back of his head before he spotted Heaney, and approached him slowly. He felt somewhat intimidated by the several girls surrounding the Quidditch player, but he drew himself to his full height nonetheless.

Heaney was staring at Remus for at least ten seconds before the latter blurted, 'I'd like your autograph. Can I have it please?'

The Quidditch player grinned, irritatingly arrogantly. 'Sure,' he said smoothly. 'Anyone have a quill, some ink and a piece of parchment? Or my photo?'

The surrounding witches began squealing immediately, bouncing at the balls of their feet. One girl practically shoved a bottle of colour changing ink, a moving photograph of Lester Heaney and a large, fancy quill in Heaney's face. Remus stared at the sixth-year, as if he was questioning her sanity.

'What's your name, lad?' he asked, poising the quill in mid-air through magic.

'V-Vanessa,' Remus said with extreme difficulty.

'Ah, is this for a friend?'

'N-no, it's for me.'

This time, about twenty pairs of eyes questioned Remus's sanity. He ignored their stares, looking down at his shuffling feet.

'My name's Vanessa, and I think you're extremely handsome.'

'Are you a girl?' Heaney asked.

'No, I'm quite clearly a man.'

One or two witches sniggered; Heaney was even finding it hard to bite back a smile.

He began reading his words as his quill wrote them. 'Dear Vanessa, glad to see you're a fan. Keep your faith in Quidditch and keep up with the games. Love, Lester.'

He handed it to Remus, who thought he was gonna throw up. Remus quickly said 'Thanks', and ran off to his friends.

'Aww, Remus, you're a _star_,' said Vanessa. 'Thanks!'

'You owe me big time,' said Remus, sitting back down. He then turned to Peter and said, 'Truth or dare?'

'Erm … truth, please,' Peter squeaked.

'Okay … who was your first crush?' Remus asked somewhat interestedly.

'Eek!' said Peter. 'Not that! Something else, please!'

'Are you choosing the forfeit?' said Remus with his eyebrows raised.

'What's the forfeit?' Peter asked everyone.

'Dropping to the feet of the first professor you see, and just be like, "Professor, I love you!" and then run away quickly,' someone said.

'Good idea,' Lily grinned, nodding appreciatively.

Everyone stared at her.

'What's a good idea?' James asked her.

'What – what someone said,' Lily said. 'You know, about kneeling down in front of the first teacher you see and saying, "I love you, Professor", before running away quickly.'

'Good idea,' Sirius said carelessly, nodding his head like Lily had.

'No one said that, Lily,' said James.

'… well, that's what I heard …'

'Doesn't matter,' said Vanessa. 'It's a _great_ forfeit.'

'I've got a second forfeit – to become the next person tested on for the Marauders' original prank items,' Sirius said, giving James a high-five.

'Well, Wormtail,' said Remus, 'you've got a choice between the truth: forfeit one or forfeit two.'

'Forfeit one,' Peter said immediately.

He stood up and looked at the swarm in the Great Hall, closed his eyes and reopened them.

'Oh,' he said dully.

'Who was it, Wormy?' Sirius grinned. 'Who was the unlucky teacher?'

'Darktoff …'

'OFF you go,' Sirius shouted, really enjoying his friend's humiliation. He gave Peter a little shove towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Nervous in the extreme, Peter approached the intimidating Darktoff. He immediately dropped to the professor's feet and squealed, 'I love you!'

He then jumped up and scuttled back to his friends as quickly as his fat legs would carry him.

'Your first crush was that much of a secret, huh?' Remus asked flatly.

Peter nodded vigorously as Cassie, James, Lily, Sirius and Vanessa laughed. Alice was the only one who didn't seem to find it funny.

'I'd like a dare, Pete,' said Sirius. 'There's nothing I can't do.'

'Are you sure?' Peter said, grinning evilly.

'Whoa, whoa, wait,' Lily intervened. 'Nothing too extreme – we've got younger ones here.'

'… in that case, I'm stumped.'

'Way to kill it, Lily,' said Sirius.

'What, I'm Head Girl,' she said a little defensively.

Peter eventually dared Sirius to knock all of the drinks off the drinks table and sing and dance up there until he was told to come down. Lily didn't approve; she pursed her lips, but, after a gentle touch from James's hand on hers, she bit back her reprimand and let them have fun.

Sirius roughly knocked all of the drinks off the table, making some girls in range squeal. He then stood on the table, and, singing _Odo the Hero_, he danced as if he was drunk.

It didn't take long at all for McGonagall to be beside Sirius's table, barking at him to get down before he injured himself or humiliated himself further.

'Mr Black, get down here this _instant_,' she said furiously.

'No way!' said Sirius. 'I'm having _way_ too much fun up here.'

'Have you been drinking?'

'No, Professor,' said Sirius truthfully.

James appeared by McGonagall's side; Sirius listened to him.

'Detention, Black,' said the Transfiguration teacher. 'No, a week's worth of detentions. You can join Miss Haney.'

'Sure thing, P –'

'We'll just go,' said James quickly. With a flick of his wand, he cleared up after Sirius's mess and he dragged his best friend along to the others.

'That. Was. AWESOME,' said Peter in admiration. 'Way to go!'

'It was nothing,' Sirius said, waving a hand as he sat down, but he clearly looked proud of himself. He turned to his best friend and said, 'Truth or dare?'

'Knowing you, I'll take the truth,' said James wisely; Lily quietly sighed in relief.

Sirius thought long and hard – it was the first time any of them, besides James and Remus, had seen Sirius think hard. 'What's the name of the girl you've got your eye on?'

James immediately said, 'I'll take the forfeit.'

'NO! Wait – is it someone in our year?'

Lily felt her cheeks turn slightly pink …

'Forfeit,' said James flatly.

'Okay, is it someone in this _Hall_? That's as easy as it's going to get.'

'No, she's not in this Hall.'

Lily felt reassured, yet something seemed to drop inside of her, making her feel empty. It was like an internal dull thud, only felt, but not shown. She kept her face composed, especially as a few pairs of eyes flitted towards her and back. But she ignored them, not wanting to think too much of James's answer.

Sirius's clear, grey eyes locked on James's hazel eyes, and something there made Sirius believe him.

All Lily could do to stop herself getting overemotional was to mentally say the alphabet backwards in her head, but she found herself thinking 'P' came before 'J', and gave up, counting the number of floating lanterns in the Great Hall instead.

She couldn't understand why she felt disappointed – she and James were just friends, after all. What more could she want from him?

* * *

Monday 31st October 1977


	16. It's a Date

- Chapter Sixteen -

~ It's a Date ~

'Okay, James,' said Lily quietly. 'I'm ready for you to give me something to be truthful about.'

She had chosen truth knowing full well what James was capable of daring her.

'Fine, then,' he said. 'Is it true that …'

His voice was drowned by a whisper, a distant, spine-chilling whisper. 'Lily, you know me! I thought you loved me. I thought you loved me …'

'Well?' said Cassie.

'Well what?' Lily returned softly, coming out of a trance.

'Are you going to answer James's question?'

'What question?'

'Lily, what's wrong with you?' James asked somewhat impatiently, but still sounding concerned. 'You've been out of it for a while now. And who or what d'you keep searching for?'

'Th – that voice,' said Lily breathlessly, her eyes flitting to each and every corner of the Hall.

'What voice?' Cassie asked.

'That murmur,' she replied.

'_What _murmur?'

'The eerie one! How can none of you hear it?'

She looked at them all imploringly, but, in return, they gravely shook their heads and stared pitifully at her, even Peter.

'Maybe you're just –' James began softly.

'I'm not mad!' Lily argued.

'I wasn't going to say that,' he replied calmly. 'I was gonna say maybe you're just in need of sleep.'

'No!'

'It's all in your head, Lily,' said Sirius in a spooky voice.

Everyone stared at him.

'Sorry, I had to,' he muttered.

James continued to gape at his best friend.

'Okay, I'll be quiet,' said Sirius.

'It's not in my _head_ – I can hear the voice in the _air_. How can none of you …?'

That was when Lily saw her, an enigmatic woman in a floaty, pinkie-lilac dress staring into Lily's emerald eyes. She had similar material around her face, covering pretty much everything besides her eyes which were bright red.

Wait – _bright red_?

'Who's she?' Lily whispered discreetly to James.

'She wasn't on the list of people we had invited …' James whispered back.

Something clicked in Lily's mind.

_Dear the organisers of the Hallowe'en gathering,_

_I would like to inform you of my presence in the Hallowe'en gathering you are supposedly organising. I will be a fair asset amongst other guests you have invited.  
_

_Thank you very much for accepting me__,  
The Spirit Princess_

'The Spirit Princess,' said Lily and James in unison.

'Who?' said Cassie, looking behind her. 'There's no one there.'

'We don't wanna jump to conclusions, but …' said Lily uncomfortably, disregarding what Cassie had said.

'We're going to anyway,' Sirius finished for her.

'Who're you guys talking about?' Alice asked, looking where Vanessa was looking. There was no one there. But she was completely ignored as well.

Sirius, Lily, James and Vanessa stood up and paced over to the woman; Remus only followed because he sensed trouble.

'Who are you?' Lily asked as politely as she could.

'Your conscience,' the woman hissed.

'Seriously,' said James, dropping his voice. 'Who are you?'

'Your consciences,' the woman hissed again.

'Listen, Lady –' Sirius began threateningly, but he caught Vanessa's deep chocolate eyes and stopped.

'Those who can see me are those who have guilty consciences,' the woman hissed, 'or secrets they shouldn't be hiding.'

Sirius began laughing. 'What would _I _have to hide? I'm Sirius Black, I _have_ no privacy _what_soever.'

Lily and Vanessa couldn't help but grin, while Remus frowned in disapproval at the honesty in his statement.

'Well …' said the Spirit Princess in her slobbery voice which strongly reminded Remus of Greyback, 'if you can see me, you are sure to have guilty consciences or secrets which shouldn't be hidden. And I'm not talking about when you do something small and feel bad about it …'

'For your information,' said Vanessa, 'I've got _nothing_ to hide; I have a clean conscience.'

'You believe what you want to believe,' the Spirit Princess hissed.

'I will,' Vanessa pouted.

'I don't seek an argument,' said Lily gently, 'I've just one request for you – _please_ cut out that voice in my head. It's driving me _insane._'

'What voice?' she snapped.

'That eerie voice,' Lily continued.

'I give you no voices.'

'She lies,' said Sirius.

'She doesn't,' the murmur came. 'You _know_ me, Lily,' said the voice. 'Lily Evans, you _know_ my voice. Don't lie!'

'Aaliyah,' Lily whispered, staring up at the ceiling.

'What?' Remus said sharply. 'Lily, she's … Aaliyah's … Lily, she's _dead_,' he said harshly.

'You're hearing the voice of a dead girl?' the Spirit Princess questioned. 'Yes, of course! 'Tis All-Hallows-Eve!'

'Y-you mean Aaliyah's h-here?' Lily stammered. 'W-with _us_? Tonight?'

'No, you silly girl,' she replied. 'Nothing can reawaken the dead, not even magic. When a witch or wizard hears the voice of a dead one on All-Hallows-Eve,' the Spirit Princess said quietly, so they all had to lean in to catch what she was saying, 'it is a blessing … and a curse.'

'A _curse_?' Lily repeated, horrified. 'What kind of curse? It affects who?'

'The one hearing the voice.'

'What more could go wrong?' Vanessa spluttered.

'_Never_ say that.'

'Is there anything we can do to prevent whatever's going to happen?' said James urgently.

'Clear your consciences,' she whispered dramatically, 'before it's too late … you never know if there'll be a tomorrow … live, love, laugh …'

She turned on the spot and vanished with a _bang_ of pinkie-lilac smoke.

The five stared at each other, tension in all of their eyes, all too afraid to speak.

Whatever had happened was too weird. So, Lily's hearing Aaliyah's voice, a weird witch turns up and tries spooking them all, and then she leaves enigmatically leaving them all to their confused thoughts. What was the world coming to?

They heard the sound of a spoon against a goblet, and turned to face the front of the Hall where Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore were sure to make an announcement.

'Silence, please,' McGonagall called.

Dumbledore stood up from his throne-like seat when a hush fell over the Great Hall.

'Thank you,' he said in his deep voice. 'Now, we are not to forget that we should announce the winners for the "Best Dressed" competition, a witch and wizard from every house, followed by the titles of Hallowe'en Witch and Wizard.

'The couples for the last title are chosen according to your dance partner for the Circle Waltz. If you didn't participate in the aforementioned dance, my apologies, I should have mentioned before.'

'Yeah, he should have,' Vanessa hissed. 'That way, I wouldn't've let _Black_ be my first dance.'

Sirius ignored her and struck a conversation with James, who was holding onto Lily's hand reassuringly. He knew she was still worrying about what the Spirit Princess had said.

_Aaliyah, tell me more, please_, Lily thought desperately.

But no voice replied.

Lily continued trying, wording her plea differently every time, but she didn't receive a reply.

McGonagall served as a distraction, calling the Head Boy and Girl to help decide who will win best Hallowe'en Witch and Wizard along with the members of staff and the guests. Lester Heaney annoyingly pestered them all to give the "Best Dressed" title of the Hufflepuff boys to a fifth-year who had flatteringly dressed up as the Quidditch Player.

Lily had to grip James's hand tightly in order to stop the latter from saying something to Heaney he would be sure to regret later.

After a while, McGonagall called for silence again, before Dumbledore stood up and spoke: 'We have decided on the students who have dressed the best and the best Hallowe'en Witch and Wizard.

'The Slytherins earning the title of "Best Dressed" are … Mr Severus Snape and Miss Pelly Parkinson!' Dumbledore called, to a huge round of applause and cheering, mostly from the Slytherin side of the Hall.

'NO!' Vanessa shrieked, but she was hardly heard over the tumult.

She stared over furiously at Lily, who shrugged apologetically.

'We were overruled,' Lily explained, just as Dumbledore said, 'The Hufflepuffs earning the title of "Best Dressed" are … Mr Henry Walter and Miss Cecilia James!'

There was a polite round of applause as the two Hufflepuffs stood with Dumbledore and the winning Slytherins.

'The Ravenclaws earning the title of "Best Dressed" are Mr Jason Downs and …'

'I hate the pause he makes before every announcement,' said Sirius darkly.

James nodded in agreement, clapping to the two Ravenclaws he didn't recognise by name or face.

'And last but by no means least,' Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, 'the winning Gryffindors are …'

'Here he goes again,' Sirius groaned. 'Who, Prongs?'

'We dunno,' said James. 'We only chose the Best Hallowe'en Witch and Wizard.'

'… Miss Lily Evans and Mr James Potter!' Dumbledore finished.

Lily looked at James, to Vanessa, and then back at James.

'What?' she mouthed.

'He's planning something,' James muttered.

'I'm not going up there,' said Lily firmly.

But James ended up dragging her to Dumbledore where they shook his hand and received a dinky statue of themselves in their outfits, holding hands and smiling sweetly. Lily smirked at the sight of the ornament, but said nothing as Dumbledore continued.

'Now, it was _very_ difficult selecting the Hallowe'en Witch and Wizard,' he was saying, 'especially as this little competition was for fifth- to seventh-years. However, after conversing for a while with the members of staff, our Chief Guests and our lovely Head Boy and Girl –' Lily beamed '– we have decided that … the title for Hallowe'en Witch and Wizard … shall go to none other than … Alice Knight and Adam Franklin.'

Despite being in the crowd, Alice's shocked face wasn't missed by Lily, who grinned widely.

'Come on!' Lily mouthed to Alice.

With numb legs, Alice made her way to Dumbledore with a bouncy Frank by her side.

'Well done!' the Headmaster said loudly. 'You each own fifty points for your houses and a shield with your names engraved, which will, of course, stay in the Trophy Room. Well done, indeed.'

When Dumbledore had dismissed them all, Lily, James, the staff and the prefects hung back to clear up the mess in the Hall.

Lily didn't notice deep, brown eyes on her back as she bent over picking up every single bit of litter – she didn't have eyes on the back of her head. But her neck tingled slightly, so, ditching the plastic cup she had just picked up, she lifted her head and saw the Ravenclaw boy who had earned the title of "Best Dressed" staring at her. She'd forgotten his name for a moment.

'Jason Downs,' he smiled politely, holding out his hand.

'Lily Evans,' she smiled back warmly, taking his hand.

'Rubbish to clear up,' said McGonagall pointedly, interrupting their cosiness. 'What are you doing, Downs? You're not supposed to be here.'

'He wanted to help,' said Lily quickly.

McGonagall nodded suspiciously and left to tell the fifth-year Hufflepuff prefect off for trying to levitate the pumpkin juice bowl, knocking it into a ladder a Ravenclaw had climbed on, and causing juice to fly everywhere and the poor Ravenclaw to land on his back with a shout of pain.

'Thanks,' Jason grinned.

'It's okay. It's not as if you're going to cause trouble or anything.'

She resumed picking up litter while feeling the boy's eyes still on her.

'Lily, why not use magic?' said James wearily, coming out from nowhere.

'I can't find my wand,' she whined, standing upright and massaging her back.

James rolled his eyes and lifted his wand, but Jason beat him to it: he waved his own wand and clearly said, '_Accio_ _Lily's_ _wand_.'

In no time at all, a _whoosh_ sounded in the air, and Lily saw a stick flying at them from what was the refreshment's table. She caught it deftly and thanked Jason.

'No problem,' he said easily.

He watched her wave her wand and clear up the mess with a sigh of relief before he cleared his throat.

Lily and James looked up at him.

'So …' he said, 'great Hallowe'en Dance you planned, Lily.'

'Credit goes to James and Nessa,' Lily grinned.

James grinned, too, in appreciation.

'Don't be so modest,' said James. He then turned to Jason: 'I was off being a complete prat leaving Lily and Vanessa to do all the work. They did a brilliant job … except …' he trailed off with an enigmatic grin.

'Except what?' she replied, her grin turning into a mock shocked expression.

'Well … I rather think we should have settled some more rules for this dance with Dumbledore,' he said. 'Like how we _can't_ be the best dressed together.'

'Fair point,' Lily smirked.

Jason cleared his throat again, and Lily and James stared back at him.

'If you don't mind, Potter,' he said lowly, 'I'd like to talk to Lily alone.'

Lily blinked rapidly; James's jaw clenched. But neither said a word as James left them, slipping his hands inside his pocket and trying to make out that he couldn't care less.

'So …' he said again.

'Yes?' she replied, a little shorter than intended.

'I just wanted to ask you if …' he said, shy all of a sudden.

Instantly, he had Lily feeling mean.

'Yes?' she prompted in a warmed voice.

'If you'd get this wrapper off my shoe,' he finished, indicated downwards. 'It's stuck well. I must've trod on it _pretty _hard or something …'

Lily bent down to Jason and fiddled with the sticky wrapper on his shoe until it came off.

She stood back up.

'Thanks –' he said.

'That's not what you wanted to say, was it –?'

'No.' He took a deep breath in and said, 'Lily, I was wondering … it's not a Hogsmeade weekend, but I was wondering … if you, you know, maybe … wanted to go on a date?'

The questioning tone he used sent chills down Lily's spine; not chills of terror, but chills of … an unfelt emotion.

'I'd – I'd be glad to, Jason,' Lily smiled eventually.

'Really?' he gasped.

'Yeah,' Lily laughed.

'Great,' he said awkwardly.

He began ruffling his hair in a way that strongly reminded Lily of a certain someone …

'I'll … just be on my way, then,' he said eventually, almost shyly. 'See you around, Lily. Entrance Hall at eleven.'

'All right, then,' she smiled.

She watched him leave the Hall with a strangely sad smile and an emptiness, which turned quickly to fear when –

'BOO!' James said, jumping out from behind Lily.

She jumped, squealed and firmly gripped her wand.

'Ha, ha, ha!' James chuckled.

'James, that was not _funny_!' she half-screeched, clutching her heart and trying to breathe at normal pace.

'That was!' James said, still chuckling; he even had to clutch at a table for support.

'Wasn't!' she said.

'It was, and you _know_ it.'

He stopped laughing and just grinned at her for one … two … three seconds.

She couldn't help it; she cracked an ear-to-ear smile and turned away, annoyed, trying to make the traitor smile slip away.

He moved to face her, and, grinning, he said, 'C'mon. You can hardly stay mad at me for that …. Smile,' he added, smiling slightly himself.

No matter how hard she bit her lip, the smile pulled through.

'Ouch,' she said.

She raised a finger to her lip, now scarlet and slightly slippery with luminous red liquid

'You silly thing …' James muttered.

He gently held up her chin so he could see the cut, making her look directly into his hazel eyes. Shaking his head, he grabbed a paper towel from the large stack on what was once the refreshment's table. When he returned to her, he dabbed lightly at her lower lip, as though asking her if it was okay for him to do so. She nodded slightly, her throat too tight to speak.

He continued gently dabbing, while trying to make conversation.

'So … what did Downs want?' he asked as nonchalantly as he could manage, releasing her chin.

'_Jason_,' she said emphatically, 'wanted to ask me something.'

'Which was what?'

'Nose out,' Lily grinned, fighting back the urge to stick her tongue out at him.

'Oh, I get it,' James said, trying to grin back. 'And you said …?'

'Nose out,' she repeated again.

She glanced around at the Hall, checked it was all tidy, and watched McGonagall rearrange the house tables with a flick of her wand.

'What time and date?' he persisted.

'James,' she snapped at last, leaving the Great Hall. 'It's none of your business who I date, what we do, where we go, or anything! Stay out. And _stop_ following me.'

'That's kinda hard when we have the same common room …' he replied cautiously.

'Unfortunately enough,' she said, rolling her eyes.

Knowing she didn't want to talk, walk or even look at him, James sped up to spare her; she had better things to think about than him … like her date.

However, when she climbed into bed that night, Jason wasn't her first thought … sadly, Aaliyah wasn't either. No, the Spirit Princess's words were spinning in Lily's head.

_Clear your consciences before it's too late … you never know if there'll be a tomorrow … live, love, laugh …_

_Clear your consciences…_

What secrets could Lily possible be hiding which she shouldn't?

She thought about James, Sirius, Vanessa and Remus – what could they be hiding?

Remus: Aaliyah's first, last and only love. Aaliyah: probably Remus's first, last and only love. The two: never got the relationship they deserved … _clear your consciences before it's too late … live, love, laugh …_

'You _love_ him,' the voice murmured.

Lily sat up, and, holding firmly onto her pillow, she made to chuck it at Aaliyah … but there was no one on her bed. It was empty, cold and untouched.

'Go away, Aaliyah,' Lily grumbled, turning the curtains of her four-poster bed and almost suffocating her head under her pillow.

* * *

Monday 31st October 1977


	17. Misunderstanding Interventions

- Chapter Seventeen -

~ Misunderstanding Interventions ~

When Lily awoke the next morning, it took her a while to figure out why she wasn't in a good mood as she usually was in the mornings. She sat up in bed and ran a hand through her hair … a habit she picked up from James, no doubt.

She glanced at the clock reading half-past six, and sighed heavily.

No matter what she did, or how busy she kept herself, Lily couldn't get yesterday out of her head. She spent breakfast alone, pondering on her thoughts and feelings. Would it be too wrong to love – no – like James, but go out with … what was his name? Jason.

Yes, yes it would.

But she didn't even _know_ if she actually liked James. Maybe he slipped a seemingly permanent love – no, _like_ potion in her pumpkin juice. Is there such a thing?

_Okay, you need a plan, Lily_, she thought firmly to herself. _You'll tell James you _think_ you feel something for him. If, if and _only _if he reciprocates the feelings, you'll go on that date with Jason and end things with him _right _there._

Yes, that sounded simple, reasonable and straight forward.

Until a certain someone happily walked himself into the almost empty Hall, that is.

Lily groaned internally, cursing her obsession with planning too much and too fast.

_Come on, Lily, you're not a Gryffindor for nothing_, she said to herself.

She could hear James's footsteps approaching her, but they sounded more like a grandfather clock ticking _tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock_.

This was it – he was finally up close – he had just sat down –

'I really like you,' she whispered, with her eyes firmly shut.

James casually reached for a brioche roll and said, ''Sup, Lily? Talking to Aaliyah? Is her voice still pestering you?'

Oh. He thought she was fooling around … he didn't believe she was talking to him, didn't believe she was sincere …

Lily's eyes snapped open quickly.

'Er – yeah, 'course,' she stammered. 'Actually … you know, I was really mad at that voice last night, so I told her to go away … and now she's gone and I want her back,' she lied. 'But she won't come back.'

'Maybe next Hallowe'en,' James shrugged. 'That's how it works, right?'

He caught the disturbed look on Lily's face and thought he was being tactless. He sighed, put an arm around her and gently said, 'Lils, we've still got her memories. Isn't that enough?'

'Yeah,' she sniffed, avoiding his eyes. 'Hey, why're you up early?' she asked suddenly, realising it was half-term, and he was up _early_. When would she get used to the new and by far improved James Potter.

'Ah, Quidditch practice,' he said briskly, taking his arm back and helping himself to toast.

'Cool …' she said vaguely. 'Well, I've got to go.'

'And leave me to eat breakfast on my own?' James asked in mock shock.

'Yeah, pretty much,' she said, managing a small smile.

'All right,' he grinned. 'Catch ya later.'

'Sure.'

James watched her leave with a slight knot in his stomach.

Oh, how he wished those whispered words from her were for him.

*.*.*

Saturday came in no time for Lily. The most she had done during their half-term was avoid the Marauders, much to their confusion.

'What did you do now, James?' Remus had asked him heavily on a stormy Thursday.

'Nothing!' he had replied. 'Why do you guys immediately think it's because of me?'

''Cause normally,' Peter answered, 'it is.'

So Lily was left waiting for Jason at eleven o'clock in the Entrance Hall on the Saturday. She glanced at her watch at five past, and began pacing, until she heard a shout.

'Lily! Hey, LILY!'

Only James Potter could shout that loud. He was half-running to her with his faithful friends only just catching up. He skidded to a halt when he reached her.

'Yes, James?' she said, trying not to sound cold, but trying not to sound too friendly.

'Just figured you'd want some company, you know,' he said casually.

'He missed you!' Sirius burst out.

James glared at his best friend and elbowed him in the stomach.

'Heyyyy!' Sirius protested. 'Anti-social, much!'

'Call that anti-social?' James said darkly. 'Watch what happens when Lily's gone.'

Sirius faked a gulp and attempted to crouch behind Lily who wasn't tall enough to hide him.

Remus and Peter burst out laughing; even Lily smiled slightly.

'Nice try, Padfoot,' Remus chuckled.

'Shut up, Remus,' Sirius grinned, still holding onto Lily and still keeping a wary eye on James.

'Lily!' Jason called.

No one liked the way he called her … he sounded relieved, and, could it be … a little angry?

'We'll … get going, Lils,' Remus said awkwardly, ruffling his hair in a non-James fashion. 'Have a, er, nice time.'

'Thanks, Remus,' she replied grimly when Jason caught up with them.

'Yeah, enjoy yourself,' Sirius said, releasing her. He bent his head slightly and whispered in his ear, 'If he does or says anything he shouldn't, bring him back in one piece.'

'Why?'

'He's ours.'

Lily giggled and shook her head before Jason took her hand and led her away. She managed to wave to the Marauders before turning back to a tight-lipped Jason.

'Soo …' he said, 'Sirius Black?'

'What of him?' Lily asked delicately in a high-pitched voice which didn't belong to her.

'You two are good friends, huh?'

Lily shrugged. 'I guess.'

'Just friends?' Jason said, with his eyebrows raised.

'Erm … yeah. Just friends.'

'Really? Because the way he had his arms around you –'

'Whoa, whoa, _wait_,' Lily said in one breath, stopping in her tracks and turning towards Jason.

'I've told you _twice_ now we're just friends,' she continued. 'And if you don't believe me, then –'

'Okay, I'm sorry!' he said quickly, leading the two away again. 'It's just that … there've been some funny rumours flying around.'

'Rumours? What rumours?'

'Word is you and Black –'

'Actually,' Lily said, smiling bitterly, 'I don't wanna know. People around here would believe anything …'

'Let's just … forget it,' Jason smiled.

He put an arm around Lily and said, 'Let's go.'

'Go where?' she asked lightly.

Jason dramatically paused for a moment before devilishly saying, 'Hogsmeade.'

'We can't go there!' she exclaimed. 'It's not a Hogsmeade weekend! We'll get so badly told off and – and I'm a Head Girl! I could get my badge taken away and –'

He stopped, turned to her, and without another thought, pressed his lips on hers.

Lily felt something in her stomach flutter. She felt colour rise to her cheeks when he pulled away. And then there was a third feeling, a strange feeling in her stomach again. She wanted to be sick.

'That was totally uncalled for,' she said. 'If you wanted me to shut up, you could've just said –'

He forced their lips to lock again, but only for a moment or two this time.

'Are you ever going to let me finish a senten -?'

And again.

Lily stormed ahead, still feeling slightly queasy.

'Hey, where're you going?' he chuckled.

'We're going to Hogsmeade,' he heard her say.

He chuckled again and ran to catch up with her.

'We'll need to cast Disillusionment Charms so that Filch or anyone doesn't see,' he told her.

'Do you do this often?' she asked, raising her eyebrows and pursing her lips.

'Let's not go there,' he grinned.

He waved his wand upon the two of them, and they were well camouflaged in no time, even in their own eyes.

'Impressive, I must say,' she grinned.

'Why, thank you, my good lady,' he said pompously. 'Shall we go on?'

He offered her a hand.

'Indeed,' she smirked, taking his hand and marching ahead.

The walk to Hogsmeade wasn't too bad. They were finding out more about each other. Lily learned that Jason's favourite colour was blue, and that his most embarrassing moment was when he was dared to run a length of the fields of Hogwarts in the school skirt and the school skirt alone.

'I don't remember that,' Lily said, smiling.

'It was back in third-year,' he said.

'Doesn't ring a bell.'

'Good.'

They both laughed heartily, until Lily felt something wet on her face, slowly sliding down her cheek.

'It's raining,' she said blankly.

The rain was light at first, but it gradually shot down harder, like bullets, upon the couple.

'C'mon, Lils,' said Jason, spitting out some rain water from his mouth.

The hair which Alice and Vanessa had kindly done for Lily was plastered to her face when the un-Disillusioned two had reached Honeydukes, where it was lovely and warm, and only slightly crowded. Jason, on the other hand, had perfectly dry hair, thanks to his hoody.

'What are we doing here again?' Jason asked, annoyed by a little old lady who had barged right into him.

'What do normal people do when they come to a sweet shop?' Lily asked.

'Erm … eat their entire stock?'

'Exactly. Ten points for Ravenclaw.'

'No, seriously. What're we doing here?'

'Buying sweets, Jason. That's what normal people do when they come to Honeydukes.'

'Lovely to hear, dear,' a woman by the till said cheerfully.

Lily attempted to smile at her, but she begun shivering due to the coldness.

'Oh – d'you want my hoody?' Jason offered.

'We were walking in the pouring rain for Merlin knows how long, and _now_ you offer me your hoody,' said Lily coldly. 'No, thanks.'

Jason shrugged and reached for the jar of blood-flavoured lollipops.

Just then, Lily's memory showed her something she could distinctly recall.

_She sighed, seeing this was pointless. 'Fine. Whatever. Sweets' names from A-Z, then. Acid pops,' she started. 'Okay … Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans? No, wait, he doesn't like them …'_

_'Blood-flavoured lollipops,' James suggested when the gargoyle remained remote._

_'Ew, no way,' Lily giggled. 'They're for vampires. Erm … Canary Cream.'_

Smiling fondly, Lily took the jar from Jason and picked out two lollipops. She then turned to the woman at the till and, beaming, she said, 'I'd like to have seven of everything you've got, Miss.'

*.*.*

'I still think you should've let me pay for some of them,' said Jason grumpily, pulling a thoughtful face.

He took another sip of his butterbeer and placed his tankard on the table.

'Jason, you offered to pay for the sweets _after_ I'd paid for them,' Lily said, taking a sip of her butterbeer, too.

She looked vaguely around at the overcrowded Three Broomsticks. That queasy feeling had returned.

Trying to push away the horrible sensation, she allowed her eyes to float from the funny group of middle-aged witches drinking a mug of smoking liquid to a balaclava-covered man talking to Madam Rosmerta, who Lily noticed Jason kept eyeing.

She rolled her eyes and looked elsewhere. That was when she saw it.

The shaggy head of a black wolf had first caught her eye. How could no one notice it enter? It was so huge!

_Wait one second_, Lily thought, holding her tankard almost by her lips. _That's no wolf. That's –_

'Sirius Black!' Lily gasped.

'What?' Jason said hazily, forcing his eyes away from the pretty Madam Rosmerta.

'N – no, nothing,' said Lily hastily.

'What about Black?'

Lily could almost hear the aggression in his voice. Oh, why did the boy have to pay attention at all the wrong moments?

'I jus-just thought …' she stammered, 'you see that man? Over there? Next to the bar? The one with the bright sweater on? I just thought he looked like Sirius from behind.'

She laughed nervously, unconvincingly.

'That man looks like Sirius as much as you look like your sister,' said Jason darkly.

'You've seen my sister?' she asked distractedly.

'Yeah … on platform nine and three quarters. The blonde chick, right?'

Lily pursed her lips, but nodded and sipped her butterbeer. She was still staring at the dog, who was concentrating hard on her.

Padfoot was then head-butted by his companion, who was, of course, none other then –

'That stupid stag,' Lily whispered angrily, too quiet for Jason to hear.

She felt something bubble in her stomach. Anger. How _dare_ they spy on her on her date? And the nerve they had to not flee when Lily first saw them! Oh, they were in for it now.

The feeling continued to bubble inside the pit of Lily's stomach. She could feel it rising and rising until it made her feel sick.

No, that wasn't the anger she was feeling. That was the sickness that finally overcame her.

'AAARRRGH!' Jason shouted, leaping up from his seat.

He splattered his girlfriend's breakfast off of his hoody in anger and tried counting from one to ten.

Lily lifted her chin up, smiling weakly. 'Hey, I'm feeling a lot better now.'

The dog barked madly, but happily. Madam Rosmerta jumped, clearly startled, and grabbed one of her brooms before heading towards Padfoot and Prongs.

Lily laughed at the fleeing Animaguses along with the crowd in the Three Broomsticks.

She then lifted her wand, waved it and apologetically chanted, '_Evanesco_.'

Jason's hoody was immediately cleaned, although the strong smell lingered.

'Erm … maybe we should go …' Lily suggested, conscious of many customers staring at them.

'Good idea,' said Jason through gritted teeth.

Lily grabbed his arm and led them away, insuring that the several Honeyduke bags followed them.

After two minutes of walking, the rain decided to revisit Hogsmeade. Lily grabbed her bags and withdrew her wand.

'_Impervius_,' she muttered. It had then occurred to her that she could have used that charm on herself when it had rained before.

She slid them on her arms and began power walking upon Jason's say-so.

Even under the loud _slosh_ of her shoes in the puddle, and the _doom_ of the bullet-like rain on the ground, Lily could hear wild barking.

Before she knew it, she was being hurtled to the ground by a large, black, sopping dog, who was followed by a beautiful stag.

She squealed slightly, but it didn't matter much, as she was already soaked.

After a struggle against the pouring rain, Lily stood up again to find that Jason was merely staring coldly at her.

She dropped her gaze under his and made to pick up her shopping bags, but they weren't there on the ground where she had dropped them.

'You familiar with these two?' Jason asked roughly, indicating to the Animaguses who had the handles of Lily's shopping bags in their mouths.

Lily didn't like the way he talked about and stared at them – he looked at them as if they were dirt on his shoes.

'Something like that,' said Lily. 'The dog's called Stacey, and the stag's called Jenny.'

Padfoot barked and stood on his hind legs, only to receive yet another head-butt from Prongs.

'Amusing,' said Jason sarcastically. 'Come on.'

Padfoot bore his teeth threateningly at Jason, but Prongs nudged him with his antlers, as if to say, 'Drop it. Let's go.'

The two Animaguses followed a quiet Lily and an indifferent Jason back to Hogwarts, communicating using their heads.

'But _what was the need _to spy on us?' Lily said exasperatedly.

They were in the warm Gryffindor common room now, completely dried up.

'I'm seventeen,' she continued. 'I can take perfect care of myself!'

'I wouldn't spy on _you_, Lily,' Sirius defended.

Something from Lily's memory came back to her again.

'I_ know who _you_ are. You're that Snape boy! They live down Spinner's End by the river,' she _[Petunia] _told Lily, and it was evident from her tone that she considered the address a poor recommendation. 'Why have you been spying on us?_

'_Haven't been spying,' said Snape, hot and uncomfortable and dirty-haired in the bright sunlight. 'Wouldn't spy on _you_, anyway,' he added spitefully. '_you're_ a Muggle.'_

Lily shook the memory out of her head, deciding against telling Sirius how he and Severus were so alike for a moment.

'Ha! You just admitted you were spying,' she decided to say instead.

James elbowed Sirius.

'Well done,' James said, rolling his eyes.

He then turned to the redhead and earnestly said, 'Lily, we weren't spying. We wanted to keep you company so you wouldn't feel so nervous. You know, familiarity's always a comfort.'

'If that's true, then why didn't I see you two in Honeydukes?' she said testily.

'Lily,' said Sirius superiorly, 'could a fair-sized dog and an _extremely_ large stag –' this earned him yet another elbow in the ribs from James '- get inside Honeydukes without being discovered?'

'Guess not,' Lily grinned.

Her expression softened.

'That was … that was really kind of you two,' she said gently. 'Thanks.'

'Great,' Sirius grinned. His grin instantly faded, and he quickly said, 'Now we want payback.'

'And I've got _just_ the thing,' Lily beamed. 'I'll just call the girls down; let them know we've finished arguing.'

She climbed up the stairs to the girls' dormitories, and opened the door with a sign reading, 'Seventh-years.'

'Come on down,' she called. 'I brought us back a little something from Honeydukes.'

'Oh!' Alice gasped, following Lily out. 'What?'

'Er - sweets, maybe,' Cassie said, as if this was the most obvious thing ever.

'What else can you buy from Honeydukes?' Vanessa asked Cassie.

'I meant,' said Alice, '_what sweets_?'

'Everything you could probably think of,' Lily smiled genially.

When Lily had distributed the sweets equally among her seventh-year Gryffindor friends, it had occurred to her that she had forgotten herself.

'I'm such an idiot,' she groaned.

'You can share my bag if you like,' said Alice happily, sucking on a peppermint toad.

'It's okay,' Lily smiled. 'I've been rewarded with an amazing day.'

'Yeah, d'you know what Lily did to Jason?' James began, already laughing.

Sirius roared with laughter as well.

'In the Three Broomsticks, Lily –'

James broke off, catching Lily's somewhat sad expression.

'Yeah, James?' Vanessa prompted.

'She accidentally got Jason full in the face with butterbeer,' James finished, with a fake laugh. 'He must've said something funny to make her spit it all out. It was hilarious,' he added convincingly.

The others laughed while James exchanged a meaningful glance with a confused Sirius. He then turned to Lily, who was smiling gratefully.

She caught up with him long after dinner, after many Gryffindors had gone to bed.

'Where're the others?' Lily asked him conversationally, joining him by the window.

'Remus and Peter are asleep,' James said, turning his head to look at Lily, 'and Sirius is pigging out in the kitchen, I think.'

'Typical,' Lily laughed.

They stood star-gazing in silence for a minute before Lily cleared her throat and said, 'James … why didn't you tell everyone what really happened?'

He shrugged and continued star-gazing, although he felt her stare on him.

'Just … didn't want to embarrass you,' he said.

'It would've made everyone laugh harder.'

'It's not worth it,' he smiled.

After another moment's silence, she edged nearer to him and said, 'Thanks.'

She was way too close to him now, dangerously close, dangerous enough to make his heart overwork itself. Her face was leaning towards him; so close that he could smell her sweet breath, count the number of pretty eyelashes on her gorgeous, emerald eyes.

She pecked him on the cheek and murmured, 'G'night, James.'

''Night, Lils,' he murmured back, feeling his heart stop trying to jump out of his chest.

So close, _so close_. But still so far.

* * *

**A/N: It's been a while … I'm sorry ): Thanks for being patient :D**

**I'm thinking about writing a sequel about post-Hogwarts 'til death (: This should be good … :D**


	18. Dead or Alive

- Chapter Eighteen -

~ Dead or Alive ~

Sunday had passed too quickly and too easily – the most that had happened was Alice and Vanessa keenly interrogating poor Lily for the tiniest details about hers and Jason's date. Of course this involved a lot of white lies on Lily's side, so she was all too happy when school reopened the Monday following her date.

It wasn't too difficult readjusting to the school timetable, only the seventh-years had their last lesson cut slightly short, because the Heads of Houses had meetings to arrange with their students; this annoyed James and Sirius – their last lessons were free periods.

'Now, now,' McGonagall called, wanting silence amongst her seventh-year Gryffindors. 'This meeting is all about your work experiences, so if you'd like to know more about where you will go, _please_ be quiet! That includes you, Miss Haney.'

The babble only grew louder, even though there were only eight or so seventh-year Gryffindors.

'Your work experiences are good for your résumés,' she called. 'If you don't get a placement, your résumés will be very lacking. You may not get a job when you're older,' she continued desperately. 'No job means no money!'

That did the trick; a hush fell upon them all immediately, and they turned to Professor McGonagall as though they were she had cast the Imperius Curse upon all of them.

'Thank you,' she said coldly before continuing: 'Now, there have been a few problems with some of your placements.'

'Hang on a second,' Vanessa interrupted. 'Wasn't our work experience supposed to be a while ago?'

'Miss Gills, you need to check the student notice board more often,' said McGonagall. 'I had pinned up a notice saying work experience has been pushed back until further notice.'

Vanessa nodded, ignoring Peter and Sirius's sniggers.

'First of all,' she resumed, 'is there anyone who would like to change their preference in where they would like to go?'

After a few seconds of stillness and silence, Vanessa timidly raised her hand.

'Professor,' she said delicately, 'I'd like to go to the Magical Menagerie, instead of Madam Malkin's.'

'I'm sorry, Miss Gills,' said the Professor, after consulting her parchment, 'Miss Aaliyah White is going there – oh … yes, of course you can go there. My sincere apologies.'

The silence had somehow turned grave, instead of being a sign of respect towards Professor McGonagall.

'There has been a slight problem with your placement, Miss Evans,' said McGonagall. 'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour has closed for the winter. Now, we are not certain when your work experience shall be, but if it falls during winter, you'll have to go elsewhere. Where else would you like to go?'

'Anywhere,' said Lily in a resigned tone.

'Very well,' she said, writing something down on her piece of parchment. She then turned to Alice, who cringed. 'Miss Knight, I'm afraid you are not allowed to join the Aurors, as you must be eighteen to do so. You turn eighteen in August.'

'What?' Alice said, outraged. 'I'm of age, though! Why can't I go?'

'That's just the rule, Miss Knight.'

'BRILLIANT,' James said loudly. 'If I become eighteen before or during work experience, can I go?'

'I suppose so,' McGonagall said in Lily's resigned tone.

James happily punched the air with his fist.

*.*.*

Unfortunately, before work experience, even before Christmas, there were exams. Exams all students had to revise for – they were practice N.E.W.T.s – Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests.

'I don't see why they need revising for,' Peter whined, as he and the Marauders spent a frosty December Saturday in the library under the nerve-wracking glare of the sharp librarian, Madam Pince.

'Quiet!' the aforementioned snapped, before hovering away behind some bookshelves.

'I don't see why they need revising for,' Peter whispered.

'This could be a replica of how we would do in the real thing,' Remus whispered back. 'Right, James?'

'Mm,' said James blankly.

His attention wasn't on his copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Seven _by Miranda Goshawk. No, he was staring somewhere a few tables away, staring into the back of a girl with dark red hair that fell past her shoulders. He could just about hear her silly little squeals.

'Jason, go away,' she was saying. 'I need to concentrate, and you're distracting me.'

James heard Jason speak back in his deep, slimy voice, but couldn't catch what he was saying. He heard Lily's giggle, though.

'That's it, Jason,' she was saying, trying to sound fierce. 'You either be quiet or be gone.'

James saw Jason mime zipping his lips, but, when Lily resumed writing, he just stared at her closely, attempting to put her off.

'Jason!' Lily squealed again. She tried pushing him away, but he only came closer. 'Go away. I'm seriously trying to concentrate here.'

James heard Jason mutter again, before planting a kiss on Lily's cheek … and again … and again –

'James!' Remus said.

'Sh!' Madam Pince said angrily, passing by with a rather large stack of books which had been returned.

'Sorry,' Remus apologised. He turned to James and stared at Lily and Jason. 'Don't pay them any attention, James,' he said comfortingly.

'What?' said James. He let out a fake laugh and said, 'Oh, right. Pfft … I wasn't staring _at_ them,' he said easily. 'I was just letting my eyes drift … and they were in my line of sight.'

'Sure,' said Remus, rolling his eyes.

'Honestly!' said James.

'Quiet,' snapped Madam Pince from behind her desk.

'Let's go,' James murmured quietly, standing up and collecting his books.

'Yes, let's,' Peter squeaked eagerly, leaping up immediately.

'Whatever, I'm staying,' Remus said, rolling his eyes.

'Let's go, Wormy,' James said, stretching.

After one final glance at Lily, and a yank in the arm from Peter, James led the way out of the library, out of the castle. He wanted nothing more than to let winter's frostiness bite him away.

'W-what are we d-doing out here?' said Peter, his teeth chattering wildly.

'It feels refreshing,' said James.

He ruffled his hair and yawned.

'Some day, your hand's going to get stuck in your hair,' said Peter, 'while you're messing it up. That day, I will laugh. I will laugh _so_ hard, that I'll crack my ribs.'

'Ha, that'd be a laugh for sure,' James said. 'I won't be able to fix you up.'

'You're James Potter,' Peter squeaked. 'You can do voiceless magic.'

'Only for people I like,' James smirked.

'I come under that category, d –' Peter began, but he was cut off by the sudden outpour of rain.

'Calm down, Peter,' James laughed. 'It's only rain.'

'_Only_ rain?' he repeated. 'I'm going to catch a cold! Let's go in.'

'I'm staying out here,' James said, stretching and yawning again.

'You're mad,' he replied bluntly. 'On your own –'

James watched Peter waddle his way back to the castle with a grin on his face. Quite the coward, Peter was. But James didn't care; he liked the rain. It was, indeed, refreshing. He felt like it was washing away everything he didn't want to feel.

*.*.*

In the library, Remus couldn't properly concentrate. His mind was swimming with images of James's hurt face, Lily's face when she was squealing in delight, and the creepy smirk which often occupied Jason's face when he stared at Lily with those … those spine-chilling eyes.

Remus abruptly stood up and quickly paced over to Lily and Jason. He threw a smile to the latter and said to Lily, 'Can we talk? Now? It's kind of private …'

'Now?' Lily repeated, her silly smile slipping away. 'Can't it wait, Remus?'

'No.'

'It's cool,' Jason said, as if his say-so meant something. 'I've got to go now, anyway. Later, babe.'

'All right,' Lily shrugged. 'See you.'

They kissed goodbye – something Remus disgustedly looked away for – and she watched him leave, before turning to Remus and indicating that he should take the vacant seat next to her, which he did most reluctantly. The Lily Remus knew would never have allowed anyone to call her babe.

'What's up?' she asked.

Remus took a deep breath, looked in Lily's bright, happy, emerald eyes and said, 'You.'

She looked quite taken aback, but her tone betrayed no emotions. 'Me? What did I do?'

'Well … you and Jason.'

'Oh,' Lily laughed, throwing her head back. 'I see where this is going.'

'You do?' Remus said, relief coursing through him.

He didn't want to be the one to break Lily's heart.

'Yeah,' she grinned. 'Madam Pince sent you here to talk to me about being quiet in the library. She never has the time or effort to tell me to be quiet herself.'

'Erm … no, that's not it,' said Remus, confused. 'And that's not fair. She tells us off loads –!'

'Anyway, to the point …'

'Yes, well … I don't think you're being fair on James,' Remus said quickly. He carried on before she could interrupt. 'He's had his eye on you for ages – _years_, in fact –'

'But he doesn't like me now,' Lily mumbled.

'No, he _says_ he doesn't like you now,' Remus corrected. 'Lily,' he sighed, 'we've known James for years – we can see through his lies easily. He's only trying – and failing – to convince himself.

'You've turned him down so much; I bet he's scared of asking you out, because –'

'– because Jason would _not_ be happy,' Lily cut across furiously.

'No, because you'd probably reject him _again_. Lily, he's changed – for you. Us, his closest friends, can see that. He no longer calls Snape "Snivellus", he doesn't hex people purely for the fun of it – he even pays attention in class now!

'You chose a man you didn't even know well for a day over a man you've known your entire school life, a man who's changed _everything_ for you. And you're not even willing to accept that change.'

'Well, what can I do about it?' Lily said angrily. 'I can't help it if I prefer Jason over James, who, by the way, is still a friend to me.'

'At least stop dangling Jason in front of his face!'

'Oh,' Lily grinned. 'I see.'

'See what?'

'James sent you here,' Lily laughed again. 'He sent you to tell me all of this. Well, _you_ can tell _him_ –'

'No, Lily,' murmured Remus. 'He didn't send me here, and I'm not saying anything to him. Whatever you've got to say to him, you say to him. This conversation ends here; I see no point in talking to someone who refuses to see my point.'

He stood up and made to leave, but he turned back to Lily again.

'I've got one bit of advice for you, though,' said Remus.

'What's that?'

'Leave love to your heart; don't let your head get in the way.'

His murmur lingered even after he left Lily, left her to her extremely confusing thoughts.

Curse Remus and his extremely effective speeches.

*.*.*

Vanessa sighed yet again, and sunk deeper into her armchair, still staring into the roaring flames of the fireplace.

'Where's Lily?' she asked groggily.

'Probably in the library,' Cassie replied nonchalantly.

'With Jason,' Alice added unhappily.

'With someone at least,' said Cassie, putting her feet up on the table.

'I've had _enough_ of this,' Vanessa huffed, throwing aside her Charms book. 'I can't stand seeing books all the time and seeing Lily never!'

'Hey, you see her,' Alice retorted.

'Yeah,' said Vanessa, 'I see her get to bed at night and rush out of our dorm in the morning. That's it.'

When no one replied, she throatily said, 'I'm going out for a little walk.'

She went to her dormitory to find her cloak – it was thick and would keep her warm in the cold outside, which had the windows misted over brilliantly. When she was outside, the only thing she could do was pace across the frost-covered grass along the lake and watch the giant squid capture its lunch.

She could see James and Peter not far away just walking and talking. Vanessa watched them wander around until it started to pour down with rain.

'What the –' she said to herself.

But soon she found she didn't care if her dark hair got soaked with rainwater, and her elaborate curls were flattened.

She watched Peter run – well, more like jog as much as his fat legs would allow him – away from James.

Vanessa considered giving the latter company, when something sickening caught her eye.

Despite the heavy rain battering the ground recklessly, there were two people not so far from Vanessa in a tight embrace, lips locked. It would've been quite romantic if Sirius hadn't been one of them.

Feeling something burning and bubbling and turning in her stomach, Vanessa twirled around and stomped in the opposite direction.

She could feel her shoes slide against the slipperiness of the grass, feel her feet sliding, but it hardly mattered when she as trying to get as far away from that disgusting slime ball as possible.

She didn't seem to realise she was standing too close to the lake, but the next thing she knew –

_SPLASH_.

The icy cold feel of the lake compared to _nothing_ in Vanessa's memory. Weighed down by already-drenched clothes, she felt herself sink lower and lower into the depths of the icy cold lake. She tried to raise her arms and swim, but they were too heavy, like lead. She tried screaming, but the lake's water drowned her screams out.

The coldness got to her, numbed her body. She felt blackness overcome her slowly; painfully … it was the end …

*.*.*

'It feels _so_ good out here,' Miriam said in her high-pitched voice.

'Out here with me?' Sirius asked, tightening his grip around her. 'Or out here in this refreshing coolness?'

Miriam threw a sloppy look up at her black-haired knight in dark armour. 'Both,' she said.

Sirius grinned. He leant in towards her slowly, making Miriam's heart thump painfully fast, but then he leaned back and said, 'Hey, is that Prongs and Wormtail?'

'Sirius, please, no,' said Miriam pleadingly. 'Even if it is those two, you promised _no friends for now_.'

'I was just saying …' said Sirius guiltily.

'Eurgh, whatever, Sirius,' she replied curtly.

She rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, making her way back up to the castle, when Sirius grabbed her hand and tugged her back.

'No, I'm sorry,' he said, grinning.

As if the weather knew he would need help persuading Miriam to stay outside, a heavy shower fell upon them.

'Look,' Sirius murmured, 'it's raining. You love the rain. Stay outside, please.'

Miriam tugged Sirius's cloak tighter around her before giving him a cold, appraising look. 'No, I _hate_ the rain. Look at what it does to my hair.'

She indicated to her flat, dripping, blonde hair, which had once been wavy.

'Er … you like it now?' Sirius said.

'Eurgh,' Miriam repeated.

She turned away again, but Sirius tugged her back with such a force that she didn't get hurt, but she was back in his arms.

Without hesitation, he leaned in to steal a kiss, which turned into something more.

_This is bliss_, thought Miriam, returning Sirius's passion – and this was Miriam, who preferred cuddles over kisses.

Just then, something caught their ears. The young couple heard a shrill scream and the splashing of water somewhere.

Sirius roughly broke off the kiss and looked around; the screaming grew more painful as the seconds wore on. He searched wildly across the fields – and that's where his eye got caught by someone splashing in the lake, screaming. Their screams were dying down rapidly.

_Vanessa._

Acting on impulse, Sirius deserted Miriam quickly, pulled off his thick sweater and dived into the lake without a thought about how cold the water would be, without a thought about how angry Miriam would be.

It was so hard to see under water, but Sirius could just about make out a figure flailing wildly, sinking every second.

With the help of his muscular arms, he embraced the girl and brought her back to the surface.

'I've gotchu, Nessa,' Sirius said as clearly as he could, although the water distorted his message.

However, Vanessa made no sign of movement next to him. She was now as still as a statue.

Sirius waved his arms around madly in the water until they had gotten out of the lake again. He pulled Vanessa back up to land with him, before kneeling on the soft ground and gasping for breath. Here, he noticed a crowd had gathered around them, despite the fact that there was a gentle shower and it was quite cold.

'Way to go, Padfoot,' Sirius heard James call.

'WAIT!' someone shrieked from the crowd.

'She's NOT BREATHING!' someone else shouted.

Sirius whipped his head back around, feeling his heart begin to hammer sorely already. He looked down at Vanessa, pale and cold-looking.

He lifted her head onto his knees and gently tapped her face; her head merely swung loosely, lifelessly. But what could he do? He was a mere eighteen-year-old, immature wizard – how could he control life and death?

'Sirius, do something!' Miriam shrieked.

'Do what?' Sirius panicked.

Miriam flickered rainwater onto Vanessa's face from her hands, but Vanessa didn't even twitch.

James withdrew his wand and muttered, 'Rennervate,' but this had no effect.

Sirius reached for Vanessa's hand quickly.

'Now's not the time for that, Sirius,' said James, while Miriam looked scandalised.

'I'm trying to feel her pulse,' he explained.

He felt around her wrist, putting his index and middle finger where her pulse should have been.

The only problem was … she didn't seem to have one …


	19. Distances

- Chapter Nineteen -

~ Distances ~

'Nessa!' Sirius half-roared, terrified out of his wits.

He shook the still figure in his arms; it swayed, limp, and its head dangled off of Sirius's lap.

'We should do CRP,' said Sirius worriedly.

'It's CPR, genius!' a Slytherin boy shouted from the crowd.

'Same thing,' snapped Sirius.

'Do it, then,' said James.

'I'm not sure I know how,' Sirius replied calmer than he felt. 'I mean, I've seen it being done, but I've never actually done it before.'

'It's not that hard,' a Hufflepuff boy said.

'Why don't _you_ come up and do it, pal?' said James, getting annoyed through the build-up in tension.

The Hufflepuff shrank slightly.

But there was nothing else for it.

Hating herself, Miriam crouched down beside Sirius and cast an experienced eye to Vanessa. She briskly rubbed her knuckles against Vanessa's sternum, only to find that the latter didn't twitch, groan or move in any way.

Miriam took Vanessa's body from Sirius, tilted Vanessa's head back and put her ear to Vanessa's mouth, trying to listen for her breathing. Negative.

She then pinched Vanessa's nose, and was about to put her mouth to the latter's, when she let go of Vanessa's and shrieked.

'Ew!' she said. 'Actually, I can't do it.'

'Oh, for the love of Merlin,' said Sirius impatiently.

Once again, he acted without thought: he pinched Vanessa's nose, tilted her head back and sealed his mouth on hers, giving her his breath.

Miriam decided to make herself useful, and began compressing Vanessa's chest, while Sirius continued giving his breath to Vanessa.

It wasn't long until colour returned to Vanessa's cheeks, and some swore they could see the tips of her fingers twitching. Suddenly, she coughed. Sirius stepped back, nervous, as Vanessa's coughing fit began.

But she had her eyes opened.

'Lucky,' said James weakly, clutching his heart.

Lucky didn't even begin to express how Sirius felt – the warmth and relief that spread through him when Vanessa's eyes fluttered open was intense.

'What – how -?' Vanessa began, but her voice was too weak to finish any of her sentences off.

'You,' Miriam said strongly, rounding on Sirius, 'are dead.'

'Why?' he replied, puzzled.

'You just – you – Gills – how could you?'

'What?'

Not wanting to witness the forthcoming argument, James forced the thin crowd to disperse. Thankfully, the rain had returned, so many were headed back up to the castle.

'You just gave your breath to Gills,' Miriam said hysterically.

'Erm … yeah …'

'You're supposed to be _my _boyfriend!' she said hotly.

'I am,' Sirius replied, his tone equally fierce. 'But you weren't the one fighting for your life.'

'Feels like I am right now,' she said shrilly.

'Get real. I just saved someone's life – shouldn't you be happy?'

'Not if that someone's your ex-girlfriend!'

'Oh,' Sirius laughed, 'you're jealous.'

Big mistake.

'So you find this funny?' she demanded, cocking an eyebrow.

'Yes,' said Sirius truthfully, trying to bite back the laughter that threatened his relationship.

'You know what'll be funnier? You. Single.'

'… That's not very funny.'

'Is to me,' said Miriam bitterly, 'I'm done with you.'

She turned on her heel and stomped off, leaving James, Sirius and Vanessa out in the rain, the latter trying to recover from the shock of what had just happened.

Sirius Black's relationship had ended because of her … _Sirius Black's_.

But an even bigger emotion than guilt was welling up inside of Vanessa – confusion.

'What had … how did …?' she murmured.

'C'mon, you,' said James friendlily.

He extended a hand which she only too gladly grabbed on to. She slipped in the mud, but James had had a firm grip on her.

'Oh, no!' she squealed, looking down at herself. 'Just look at me! I look like a zombie covered from head to toe in mud! Oh, and my hair …'

James had to bite back a laugh; Sirius, on the other hand, chuckled shamelessly.

'Of course you'd find this funny,' said Vanessa bitingly, staring with narrowed eyes at Sirius.

'Well … you almost _died_,' Sirius grinned, 'and here you are, worrying about a problem which can be easily taken care of.'

He lifted his wand, flicked it, and said, '_Tergeo_.'

All of the mud instantly vanished.

'Oh … erm, thanks,' she muttered.

'Are you good to walk?' James asked her.

'Yeah,' she said lightly.

She limped a few steps, until Sirius became impatient. He let out a loud tut and grabbed her injured left arm, gingerly putting it over his shoulder.

'Thanks,' she muttered again.

James took her other arm as they headed for Gryffindor Tower.

The silence was awkward, but Sirius thankfully broke it when, on the third floor, he said, 'Ah … I was meant to meet Wormy after his detention with McGonagall.'

'Detention for what?' Vanessa asked curiously.

'Remember when he set the girls' dormitories on fire?'

'Oh, yeah,' said Vanessa coldly, shuddering at the memory.

'See ya, mate,' said James.

'Later.'

Vanessa watched Sirius's retreating figure with a strange sense of longing. She ignored this feeling and turned to James, who was looking quite tired and worn out.

'So, what happened?' she asked thoughtfully.

'I can't tell you everything,' he started, 'but basically, you fell in the lake, Sirius dived in to get you, you weren't breathing when the two of you resurfaced, and Miriam Buell and Padfoot saved your life.'

'How?'

'Padfoot performed CRP on you and Mir –'

'CPR,' Vanessa corrected automatically. 'Seriously? He did that for me?'

'Well, yeah,' James smiled. 'And now he and Miriam have broken up.'

'Because he _saved my life_?' Vanessa spluttered in disbelief.

'Well … yeah,' James repeated.

'But that's – yeah, but – why?'

'Don't ask me how a girl's mind works,' James grinned. 'I'll never figure them out.'

Vanessa smiled softly. 'Hey, Lily'll fall for you eventually?'

James looked rather like a small boy who needed comforting as he said in a shy voice, 'You really think?'

'Definitely,' Vanessa grinned, resting her head on his shoulder.

*.*.*

'NESSA!' Alice screamed as high as her voice could go.

James and Vanessa had just climbed through the portrait hole uncomfortably.

'You look _dreadful_,' said Cassie, as James and Vanessa approached where they were sat.

'We heard … we just thought they were rumours,' said Lily weakly.

She leapt up so Vanessa could take her seat.

'How're you feeling?' Alice asked cautiously.

'Better,' Vanessa smiled. 'Thanks, James,' she added, when James turned his back on the girls and made to walk away.

'No problem,' he said, ruffling his hair.

'So it's all true?' Lily whispered when James was gone.

'Probably,' Vanessa shrugged.

'That was _so kind _of Sirius!' Alice squealed. 'I mean – more than kind … I just can't believe – Sirius, of all people!'

'You're kidding, right?' said Cassie. 'I think I'm about to be sick.'

Alice childishly stuck her tongue out at Cassie.

'We owe him a bunch,' said Lily earnestly.

'Yeah,' Vanessa agreed.

*.*.*

The news about Vanessa's little accident had spread across the school fairly quickly compared to the news about hers and Sirius's break-up all those months ago. She had been required to visit McGonagall, and then Madam Pomfrey, who insisted upon keeping her in the Hospital Wing for the night.

Lily had temporarily ditched Jason for Vanessa, who was under the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey for the sake of friendship, which Vanessa greatly appreciated.

'There's no need for thanks,' Lily smiled faintly, leaping on the spring bed next to Vanessa's.

'It's just that … you've been with him loads recently,' she said cautiously. 'It feels great seeing you here – with me – _for _me.'

'Hey, I know Jason and I spend loads of time together,' said Lily warmly, 'but that doesn't change a thing between us.'

'It has recently,' said Vanessa awkwardly. 'I've hardly seen you lately …'

Lily stared down at her legs which she was swinging rather childishly. 'I'm sorry,' she mumbled. 'I can't help it – Jason says he needs loads of my attention. He said –'

'Oh, just _listen to yourself_,' said Vanessa impatiently. 'Where's the Lily I used to know?' She sat up in her bed, looking quite fierce. 'The independent one who would stand her ground and not let others – especially some _guy_ – tell you what to do, practically take control of your life!'

Just then, a diversion came along, sparing Lily.

'Oh, hey, Remus,' said Vanessa brightly.

The Marauders shuffled in with Remus in the lead, an urgent expression settling on his face.

'How are you?' he asked.

'Much better, thanks,' she grinned. 'And you? You don't look too good. No offence,' she added.

'Nearly full moon,' Remus half-groaned.

'So what brings you guys here at this hour in the night?'

'Just wanted to see how you're doing,' said Remus, a little stung. 'Can't I do that? I thought we're friends.'

Vanessa laughed freely. 'We _are_, but you could've come tomorrow. For all you knew, I could've been sleeping.'

'You?' said Remus. 'Asleep? At eleven in the evening? I can't see you going to sleep so early.'

'Shut up,' grinned Vanessa. 'I can go to sleep early sometimes.'

During their exchange, Lily and James were having one of their own. He raised an eyebrow at her, and stared at her legs which were still swinging. Blushing, she stopped rocking them. He signalled that they should go out for a little walk, which Lily was quick to agree to.

'I worry about Nessa sometimes,' she murmured.

'Why?' James smiled, putting a comforting arm around her. 'We were there; there was nothing to worry about.'

'If Sirius _wasn't _there –' she broke off, shuddering.

James gave her a tight, comforting squeeze. 'There's no need to think about that. She's here, she's fine and she's alive: it's all good.'

'You said that about Aaliyah,' she said, smiling painfully.

'I mean it this time.'

Lily looked up in to his deep, hazel eyes, and could see the truth written all over them. She rewarded him with a sweet smile.

'Hey!' came a deep, angry voice from ahead of them. 'What're you doing? Get your hands off my girl!'

James quickly released Lily's shoulder, and raised his hands in the air in a kind of surrender.

'Whoa – didn't know it was a crime to comfort,' he said.

'If Lily needs comforting,' Jason growled, 'she can come to me.'

'Oh, really?' said James hotly. 'I don't recall you being back there in the Hospital Wing reassuring her that everything was going to be fine.'

'I'm here now, pal,' Jason replied vehemently. 'And I'd appreciate it if you left my girl alone.'

'_Stop it_,' Lily half-shrieked. She first turned to Jason and said, '_Stop_ talking about me like you own me, _and stop_ bossing me about and _stop _getting so – so – so, I dunno, _jealous_ when you see me with someone else.'

'Oho, you think it's _jealousy_?' Jason sneered.

Lily ignored him and turned to James. 'And you! Stop – stop …' but she couldn't find anything that James was doing wrong.

When James realised this, he grinned.

'I'm staying within my limits,' he said.

Jason growled one last time and stomped off.

'Sometimes, I swear you wind him up on purpose,' Lily whispered to James, a hint of fear in her delicate voice.

'No,' he shrugged. 'He just gets easily wound up. Lily, I hate your boyfriend,' he said bluntly, slipping his hands inside his pockets easily.

'Me too, sometimes,' Lily groaned softly. 'He's just a little bit overprotective, that's all.'

'A _little bit_?' James repeated.

'Yes, a little bit,' she said defensively. 'Let's head back.'

'Quick walk,' James commented, but he obeyed.

'Yeah, well … you ruined it.'

'_Me_?' James said, shocked.

'Yes, you,' she sniffed.

'What, for staying within my limits?' he said. 'Unlike _that_ warthog.'

'He's my _boyfriend_.'

Lily's voice rang down the corridor, but her words travelled further, further down James's heart, like thorns.

'Haha,' James snorted. 'You just said you're dating a warthog.'

Lily stared at him with narrowed eyes until he stopped laughing.

'James,' Lily sighed. Oh, how good his name sounded when it came from her lips. 'I know you're merely being a friend, you're just looking out for me, but … do you mind looking out for me a little less? Or not looking out for me at all?'

'Are you … but,' James swallowed, 'we're _friends_. It's what friends do.'

'Then … could you just … not be my friend?' she asked timidly. 'It's just that … as long as you're around, Jason and I just can't be, you know, happy together.'

'Didn't really look like you were happy alone,' James muttered.

Lily wisely chose to ignore this.

'Are we okay?' she asked nervously.

'I don't get you, Lils,' James sighed, his voice dropping as they reached the entrance of the Hospital Wing. 'First you hate me, then you want me as a friend, then you want me far away from you, then you want me to talk to, then you never wanna see me again …'

'No,' Lily smiled, trying to lighten the mood 'that's not what I'm saying. We're both Heads, it'll be a teensy bit difficult to never see you again. I'm just saying … you wind Jason up big time, and he has a go at me for it – where's the justice here? So I just figured if you'd stay away, then maybe –'

'Why don't you stay away?' James interrupted. 'From him. Look at what he's doing to you. He's cutting you away from your friends – me and Nessa for starters; he's banned you from doing stuff like … like spending two straight hours away from him unless you're sleeping; that's ridiculous!'

Lily shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

'He just likes me … a lot.'

'If he liked you,' James said quietly, his warm breath tickling Lily's ear, 'then he'd not put so much pressure on you and force you to do things you don't wanna do.'

'And if I _do_ want to?' Lily said, raising her eyebrows.

'Then … I'll stay out,' James said, with extreme difficulty.

'Good,' said Lily, 'because I don't want any help, protection or whatever from you.'

'Fine,' James said.

He turned on his heel and marched off towards where Peter was looking at him with enquiring eyes. James shook his head, wordlessly telling him to not ask questions.

Lily cleared her throat, and all eyes – besides James's – turned to her.

'Nessa, I'm gonna … I'm gonna go to bed now,' she smiled. 'Not feeling too good.'

Vanessa's face fell.

'It'll be the cold,' Remus said. 'You've not been keeping yourself wrapped up warmly, have you?'

'Have,' Lily grinned. 'Anyways, g'night.'

There were murmurs of "goodnight" from all but one person, but she disregarded this when she turned around, allowing her grin to fade and a sigh to build up in her lungs.

James ruffled his hair distractedly, while Peter yawned.

'I want to go to bed,' Peter squeaked, leaping off the bed next to Vanessa's.

'I'll join you,' said James immediately. 'In a different bed, I mean.'

Remus, Sirius and Vanessa laughed.

'Oh, shut up,' James said tiredly. ''Night, guys.'

'Later, mate,' Sirius said carelessly.

Peter squeaked his goodnight before James dragged him by his t-shirt and yanked him away.

'What's up with him?' Vanessa asked darkly.

'I'm not sure, but I'm going to investigate,' said Remus shrewdly, following James and Peter.

'Reckon he and Lily fell out?' she asked concernedly.

'Huh? What?' was Sirius's response; he didn't expect himself to be alone with Vanessa. 'Oh, yeah … maybe.'

He made to leave, but Vanessa's hand found his. He turned around to look at Vanessa, smiling with a sort of vacant sweetness.

'Sirius …' she murmured, 'thank you.'

'For what?' he asked. 'Oh, you know.'

'Yeah … thanks. And I'm sorry about Miriam.'

'Whatever,' he shrugged.

She looked as though she wanted to say something more, but she started yet another coughing fit, spluttering and flailing her arms about.

Sirius felt himself panicking slightly, looking around for Madam Pomfrey. But a brass goblet caught his sight. He whipped out his wand, directed it at the goblet and chanted, '_Aguamenti_'.

It instantly filled with water. He passed the goblet to Vanessa, but she couldn't take it; Madam Pomfrey hadn't healed her arms.

Partly unwilling, Sirius calmed Vanessa down, tipped her head back and slipped some water into her mouth. She choked on it for a bit, but it soon cleared her throat.

'Thanks,' she said sorely, massaging her neck.

'Any time,' he said lightly, not really meaning it. 'Er … I'll just go now,' he said awkwardly, ruffling the back of his hair; Vanessa smiled fondly when he did this.

'Okay,' she said, feeling equally embarrassed. 'Um … see y'round?'

'Sure …'

He strode out of the Hospital Wing quickly, leaving Vanessa chuckling softly to herself. She couldn't help it – Sirius was never good with awkward situations.

She slumped back in her bed, blew out her bedside candle and tucked herself in cosily, ready to encounter dreams of herself drowning, only to be rescued by a strong, muscular man with swishy black hair – dreamy in every way …


	20. Christmas Spirit

- Chapter Twenty -

~ Christmas Spirit ~

It took a couple of weeks for Madam Pomfrey to be sure she could trust Vanessa to leave the Hospital Wing and take care of herself, much to Vanessa's disappointment; they ended up celebrating Cassie's birthday in the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey was less than lenient with Vanessa's sugar intake.

Eventually, however, Vanessa returned to find piles of work she had to catch up on and a lot of warmth from her fellow Gryffindors who missed her presence in the common room.

'A girl could get used to this, you know?' Vanessa smiled, accepting some Chocolate Frogs from a small and shy first-year girl.

'And one for me?' said Alice hopefully to the first-year.

The small girl looked over Alice's shoulder before nodding and offering Alice a Chocolate Frog.

'And me?' Cassie grinned.

The first-year looked over Alice's shoulder again and shook her tiny head before running off.

'Uh!' said Cassie, scandalised. 'Talk about cheeky!'

Alice, Lily and Vanessa seemed to think otherwise, sniggering amongst themselves.

'Look, that's why,' said Lily, pointing with her head to the table far behind Alice.

There was Sirius and the gang, looking proud of themselves, and talking to the small and shy first-year. Lily watched Sirius grin and ruffle the girl's mousey brown hair before she skipped off to her friends.

'They set that girl up,' Lily laughed. 'That's why Alice was allowed a Frog and Cassie wasn't.'

This made Alice and Vanessa laugh even more.

'They've got nerve,' said Cassie shrewdly, fiddling with her necklace and giving the Marauders the evils.

They didn't seem to notice, though. They were laughing too hard at something Cassie didn't understand.

'Of course they have,' said Lily cheerfully. 'They're Gryffindors _and_ Marauders.'

Cassie maintained her stony posture.

'Oh, come on, Cass,' said Alice encouragingly. 'It's nearly Christmas, brighten up!'

'Sure,' she replied sulkily. '_You_ got a Choco Frog.'

At that second, something fell from the ceiling and onto Cassie's head – something small wrapped in gold foil with a blue cover over that.

And then more of them fell in different parts of the common room. They could only be –

'Chocolate Frogs!' Alice gasped. '_It's raining Chocolate Frogs!_'

She stood up and began catching the Frogs like many other Gryffindors had.

Over the squeals of delight (many coming from first-years), Sirius and James shouted, 'Merry Christmas, people, and have a happy new year!'

Lily smiled warmly at them. She couldn't have thought of a better way to end the term.

James caught her eye and winked, making Lily smile even more and look away in embarrassment.

'Er … Earth to Lily, Earth to Lily,' Cassie was saying darkly, waving her hand in Lily's face. 'Isn't this the part where you, as Head Girl, interrogate the Marauders as to where they got so many Chocolate Frogs from?'

'Honeydukes,' said Lily dreamily.

'And how did they _get_ to Honeydukes?'

'They could've sent an order or something.'

'I think someone might've noticed if tons of Chocolate Frogs came in the morning post,' said Cassie grumpily.

'Oh, Cassie, quit fussing,' Lily said, with a hint of impatience. 'You got your Chocolate Frogs, right?'

'Maybe …' Cassie mumbled, shuffling her feet.

'Then let it go,' Vanessa laughed.

'No,' said Cassie stonily. 'I know there's something going on, and I'll get to the bottom of this.'

'Suit yourself,' Vanessa smirked, helping herself to more Chocolate Frogs.

*.*.*

Even though Christmas was a mere week away, everyone was in high spirits, especially as the Hogwarts Express would be leaving the next day, so most students could go home to see their family for the first time in months.

Lily just happened to be one of the very few who were staying at Hogwarts.

'Aww, how come, Lils?' Alice squealed, as she and the others packed their bags that night.

'My parents are on holiday,' said Lily warmly. 'You know, the weather's really nice and warm in Australia. And Petunia's moved in with Vernon.'

'I take it you didn't want to hang out with them,' Vanessa said.

'You know me so well,' Lily grinned.

Vanessa smiled back and looked down at her wrist.

'Oh, flip,' she said. 'I left my watch downstairs.'

'The one Sirius gave –?' Alice began to say.

'I'll go down and get it,' Lily offered, tactfully interrupting Alice. 'I've got no bags to pack,' she said under her breath as she left.

'Thanks, Lils,' Vanessa called after her.

Lily hopped down the stairs of the girls' dormitories and scanned where they had been sitting for Vanessa's watch.

'Looking for this?' came a deep voice behind her.

'… thank you,' said Lily shyly, snatching Vanessa's watch from James's warm hands.

She made to turn back to the girls' dormitories, but James started speaking.

'Aren't you going to pack?'

'Not going anywhere,' Lily smiled. 'And you?'

'Been there, done that,' he yawned.

Lily raised her eyebrows dubiously at him.

'Okay, I'll pack later,' he amended.

'Now _that_ sounds more like James Potter,' Lily laughed.

'Hey!' James exclaimed, pretending to be offended. 'Are you saying I'm irresponsible?'

'Irresponsible _and _slow,' Lily laughed.

'You'll see just how fast I am,' James said, before breaking into a run after Lily.

She ran as fast as she could, dodging some Gryffindors, and glancing behind her frequently to make sure James wasn't there. And he wasn't. Where did he go?

_Crack_.

'Gotcha!' James said, securing his arms around her from behind.

'Hey!' Lily squealed. 'You Apparated! That's _so_ cheating!'

'No, it's _so_ not,' James replied, mimicking her tone. 'Still being fast, right?'

Lily stuttered, struggling to find an appropriate answer. But she didn't need to – Vanessa came down the stairs, evidently searching for Lily. When she found her, she fought hard to not laugh.

'Erm … what're you guys doing?' Vanessa asked when she reached them.

James's hands instantly unwound around Lily, whose cheeks betrayed embarrassment.

'I was demonstrating how fast I can be,' James said, dignified.

'I see how that works …' said Vanessa slowly.

There was an awkward silence, as they all looked around the common room, avoiding each other's eyes. It was Vanessa who, thankfully, broke it.

'Oh, yeah! Lil, you can stay around ours for Christmas,' she said brightly.

'What? I can?' Lily blinked, confused.

'Yes,' Vanessa said. 'Mum and Dad don't know it yet. But they will. There's not enough room in our house, but –'

'Then you can come spend Christmas with us!' said James happily. 'Me and Sirius and Mum. There's enough room in our house. It's better than Christmas here with loads of weird first-years …'

'Whoa, hold on there,' said Vanessa steadily. 'I go where Lily goes, and Lily goes where I go. If you invite her, you're inviting me, as well. We come as a package.'

'I'm good with that,' James grinned.

'Erm … sorry, but I thought you'd say no …' said Vanessa awkwardly. She turned to her best friend for support.

'I think Christmas with James's mother would be really nice, actually,' Lily said truthfully.

James's smile had a hint of gratefulness in it.

'She'd like that,' he said, 'she'd like that a lot.'

'Great …' said Vanessa slowly. 'Can I have my watch back? I still have some packing to do …'

'Oh, sorry,' Lily mumbled. She handed Vanessa's watch back to her. 'You go,' she said. 'I want to have a few words with James.'

'Be quick,' Vanessa smiled.

Lily nodded, and watched Vanessa until she had climbed up the girls' dormitories stairs.

'What's this about?' Lily said urgently to James, looking directly into his eyes.

'What's what about?' he said innocently, refusing to turn away from those … gorgeous emerald eyes.

'We're supposed to have minimal contact,' she half-hissed, 'we're not supposed to be … I'm staying around your _house_?'

'It was up to you,' he shrugged. 'But if you –'

'For your mother's sake,' said Lily defensively. 'I'd hate to think what Christmas would be like with just you and Sirius.'

'And some second cousins we're babysitting this year,' James added.

'What? How's there going to be room for me and Nessa?'

'Lils,' said James superiorly, turning to his dormitory stairs, 'there's _always_ room for you.'

He then left Lily, dumbfound, to her swirling thoughts and pounding heart.

*.*.*

Panic. Confusion. Two common emotions strongly felt when –

'We're gonna miss the Hogwarts Express!' Peter screeched.

'Not helping!' Remus exclaimed, still looking for his spare pair of socks. 'Surely _someone_ has seen my socks! Striped red and gold with the letter 'R' on them!'

'I think I've seen them,' said Sirius – much to everyone's surprise. Sirius never sees anything. 'Yeah, they're the ones keeping my toes warm, aren't they?'

Remus spared Sirius a look of disbelief, and plainly said, '… keep them.'

'Okay,' shrugged Sirius. 'They're really soft.'

'I know,' Remus wailed despairingly.

'So Flower Girl's coming to our place?' Sirius asked, trying to sound casual. 'With her bud?'

'Yup,' said James, smiling and watching Peter throw around the contents of his suitcase in search of his pyjamas. '_Accio Peter's pyjamas_,' he said eventually, waving his wand.

Peter's hippogriff-printed pyjamas flung themselves from his chest of draws.

'Thank you,' Peter squeaked.

It was quite hard to tell which of the seventh year dormitories were worse – the girls' or the boys'.

'Alice, I asked you to wake me up at half-past nine!' Lily squealed. 'Not half-ten!'

'Sorry,' said Alice shame-facedly. 'I forget …'

'Lils, you have twenty minutes to get ready,' Vanessa reminded her. 'Nag Alice on the train.'

'Good idea,' said Lily quickly, before rushing to the bathroom.

'My red and green sparkly nail polishes!' said Cassie. '_Where _are my red and green sparkly nail polishes?'

'Cass, you lent them to Marlene last year, remember?' said Vanessa calmly.

'Oh, yeah … gotta find Marlene,' said Cassie under her breath, making her way out of the dormitory.

'Cassie … she's finished school, remember?'

'Darn it!' Cassie remembered. 'Gotta owl Marlene …'

'Offeh meh twooo,' said Lily, leaning against the door frame of the bathroom.

'Lily, spit and rinse before you speak,' said Vanessa hopelessly. 'Honestly, I feel like a shepherd.'

And so, Vanessa had to chivvy the lot out of school and onto a horseless carriage by ten-to eleven.

'I must look a mess!' said Lily, stumbling onto a carriage. 'Twenty minutes? _Twenty_, I tell you!'

'You look fine,' said Vanessa tiredly, helping Alice up next.

'You're my friend, you're _supposed _to say that,' said Lily, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

'Lily, you look as fine as ever,' said that voice. The same one which echoed in Lily's dreams almost every night for the past two weeks.

'Erm … thanks, James,' said Lily awkwardly.

Sitting down, she then turned to Vanessa and gave her a look which plainly said "You couldn't have picked a better carriage!"

James ignored the expression on her face and instead struck a conversation with Remus.

'You look kind of bad,' he said bluntly.

'Thanks,' sniffed Remus. 'I can tell this Christmas is going to be great,' he said, with a hint of sarcasm.

'Don't be like that,' Lily said encouragingly. 'Every Christmas is great. It just depends on your perception of it.'

'No, really, Lily,' said Remus, 'this one's going to be terrible.'

'Not unless you think it otherwise,' Lily smiled.

'She's right,' said James. 'We'll be with you on Christmas.'

'Really?' said Remus. He dropped his voice so the others wouldn't here. 'You'd give up Christmas for me?'

'We've already given up being proper humans for you,' Sirius laughed. 'One Christmas is almost nothing compared to that.'

'I – I can't come, though,' squeaked Peter. 'My mother's been feeling quite ill and –'

'We understand,' James smiled. 'So, what do you think? Us three on Christmas night round yours?'

'I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas,' Remus said happily. 'Thanks, guys.' He stared at Lily when he said this, and she nodded in acknowledgement.

'I wonder if we can ride those horses again,' said James wonderingly.

'What horses?' Alice asked.

'Those black ones in front of us,' he replied, still in thought. 'The Thestrals.'

'Thestrals?' Cassie repeated. 'Is this some creature we learnt about in Care of Magical Creatures? Because, for the record, I never paid attention to Kettleburn.'

'You never pay attention in anything,' Vanessa laughed. 'Thestrals are winged animals which can only be seen by people who've seen death.'

'Death? Like the Grim Reaper? I've always wanted to see him … give him a piece of me.'

'Cassandra Dinah Haney versus Mr Grim Reaper … Grim Reaper would _so_ win,' Alice laughed.

'_Not_ the Grim Reaper,' said Vanessa, before Cassie could reply to Alice. 'It just means someone who's literally seen someone die and appreciated that they're dead.'

'Nice,' said Cassie sardonically.

'I want to see if I can ride one again,' said James thoughtfully.

'Do _not _try it,' said Lily warningly, but before she could say another word, James had hopped out of the carriage and onto the seemingly invisible Thestral.

Scared, the Thestral shivered and sped up, its footsteps louder than all of the chatter amongst students.

'WHOOOOOOA!' came shouts from within the carriage – even James had trouble keeping his mouth shut.

There were cheers and calls of 'Look at Potter!' from other carriages, though. They, at least, found it amusing.

'When we get to yours,' Lily was saying furiously, as they got into the Hogwarts Express, 'you are _so_ dead.'

Alice was still untangling her hair with anger, but James felt exceptionally pleased when Sirius and several others high-fived him, Vanessa among them.

*.*.*

'Lily, eat something,' said Vanessa soothingly.

'No.'

'You didn't have any breakfast,' Alice reminded her.

'I wonder whose fault that was.'

'Then eat,' Cassie said.

'Wait – no breakfast?' said James, sounding concerned. 'Lily, you have to eat something. Are you still mad at me?' he grinned.

Lily stared at him with narrowed eyes for a few seconds before resuming her stare out of the window, watching the scenery blur past her rapidly.

'I'm sorry,' said James shakily, trying not to laugh. 'I've always wanted to ride a horse, you know.'

Vanessa glared warningly at him, as if to say he'd spoken too much.

James shook his head and said, 'Lily, weren't you the one who told me I shouldn't hold grudges against people?'

'I meant don't hold a grudge against Severus,' Lily grumbled.

'But you said (and I quote), "Potter, you shouldn't hold grudges against people; you'll regret it in the future."'

'That doesn't change the fact that I was referring to Snape,' said Lily sulkily. 'Besides, why do you remember that? That was back in first-year or something.' She couldn't hide the curiosity out of her voice there.

'I remember every lecture you've ever given me,' said James easily, waving it aside. 'I notice you remember, as well.'

'How can I forget something as irritating as you?' she said darkly.

James ignored this. 'I also remember last year before the Quidditch final, you told me no one can even _think_ on an empty stomach.'

'I was trying to make you un-nervous,' Lily snapped.

'Still,' said James softly, 'you're Lily Evans. You once told me you always keep your word.'

'I do …' said Lily grudgingly.

'Tell the woman to eat something already!' Sirius said impatiently.

'I was getting to that bit,' James said. 'But I was planning on saying it a little more sensitively.'

Some of them laughed, even Lily cracked a smile.

'Cauldron cake?' he offered her tentatively.

She accepted it with a smile.

'Just for the record,' she said before taking a bite, 'I'm only eating this, because Nessa told me to eat.'

'Sure …' Alice winked.

'It's got nothing to do with Romeo?' Remus said jokingly.

'Ro – Ro –?' said Lily aghast.

'Who's Romeo?' said Peter, confused.

'It's a Muggle thing,' Remus said, watching Lily's expression.

'I wanna know who Romeo is,' Sirius whined. 'Moony, why won't you tell me?'

'_Romeo_ _and_ _Juliet_ was this old play,' said Lily, stressing every word, 'about this werewolf called _Romeo_ who _never_ knew _when_ to shut up, and so got killed by one of his friends, _Juliet_.'

'That sounds grim,' Sirius commented. 'Who wants another Chocolate Frog? I have plenty, and I'm actually willing to share …'

The train journey continued like this – jokes and mindless chatter, and some duties for everyone's favourite Head Boy and Girl. The only disruption came when a certain highly-hated boyfriend stumbled into the compartment to ask where Lily was. Just to infuriate him, Sirius told him she went to "hang out with first-years, 'cause they're by far more preferable"'.

When the Hogwarts Express pulled up in Kings Cross station and they had dragged their suitcases out of the train, they found it was colder than they expected.

James, Lily, Sirius and Vanessa exchanged their goodbyes with Peter and Remus; Sirius was being extremely loud about it.

'Sirius? Is that really you?'

Lily and Sirius turned slightly to see a grey-haired woman with startlingly hazel eyes. She had a kind, worn face, and looked extremely vulnerable in her thin clothes.

'Mrs Potter!' Sirius said. 'It's great to see you again!'

Lily had honestly never seen Sirius hug someone so warmly, so tightly; it was a pleasant change.

'MUM!' James said, knocking Sirius out of the way and embracing his mother.

'James,' said Mrs Potter fondly. 'I've missed you, too.'

'How did you know I missed you?' he said, releasing her and grinning.

'A mother can always tell,' Mrs Potter joked.

Lily and Vanessa stood awkwardly in the background, having bade farewell to their other friends and watched the exchanges between Sirius, James and Mrs Potter.

'I don't recognise your friends,' said Mrs Potter in her fragile voice. 'Good gracious, am I getting that old?'

'No, Mum,' James laughed. 'You've never met these two before. Well, not properly.'

'Although you might've heard of them from James's frequent school rants,' Sirius added cheekily.

Vanessa's jaw dropped.

'Er … anyway, Mum, this is Lily Evans and Vanessa Gills – they're both Gryffindors in my year, and I'm telling you this, because you know nothing about them, and you've never heard of them or anything,' said James meaningfully.

'Of course, dear,' said Mrs Potter, in a whatever-you-say tone, which made Lily and Vanessa burst out laughing. 'James did say the two of you would be staying. Come on, then, off we go.'

'Erm … sorry, but how?' said Vanessa cautiously.

'Apparition, duh,' said Sirius, picking up his suitcase.

'I don't think I can Apparate with two suitcases and one trolley,' said Vanessa. 'You can hold the suitcases, Sirius. Thank you,' she said sweetly.

'Always a gentleman,' said Mrs Potter happily.

'Where're we going?' Lily asked.

'You've probably never heard of it,' James said. 'We're going to Godric's Hollow.'

'The birthplace of Godric Gryffindor,' gasped Lily, dropping her bag on Sirius's foot (much to his pain and displeasure). 'No way! I didn't know you live there!'

'Well … I do,' James smiled.

'But we don't know how to get there,' Vanessa said blankly.

'Hold on tight to one of us,' James said in a business-like tone. 'Not Mum, though,' he added quietly, 'she's not been her best recently.'

'Okay,' Lily whispered back.

She retrieved her bag, apologised to Sirius and automatically grabbed onto James's warmth-radiating arm.

'Godric's Hollow, here we come,' Vanessa said excitedly.

* * *

Sunday 18th December 1977


	21. Home Sweet Home

- Chapter Twenty-One -

~ Home Sweet Home ~

The Potters' cottage looked absolutely amazing. It suddenly made sense to Lily why the boy was always boasting when he was younger. It wasn't a large mansion with a pool in the back yard, or any such thing. It was a cosy house with pretty flowers an ivy growing on the outside of the walls, and in the garden. Everything about the house radiated warmth to Lily; she could feel her heart melting.

'Wow,' Vanessa whispered next to Lily. 'James really wasn't lying …'

'Have you been boasting again?' Mrs Potter said, sounding faintly cross at her son.

'When I was a young and foolish child, Mum,' said James quickly, 'when I was a young and foolish child.'

Lily coughed pointedly.

'Brr, I'm cold,' said Sirius, rubbing his gloved hands together after letting go of Vanessa. 'Let's go in.'

They single-filed in, after Mrs Potter had creaked the gate open – even the gate looked cosy. It was rather petite, but it fit in with everything else.

Mrs Potter walked down the pretty-stoned pathway to her house, followed by James, Lily, Sirius and Vanessa.

She let them in, and they entered one-by-one. Well, sort of – Sirius decided to close the door on Vanessa's face. Poor Vanessa was left out in the cold until Lily realised her friend was missing. Predictably, a chase ensued between Vanessa and Sirius when the former was let in.

'Just look at them,' Lily laughed with James, the mug of hot chocolate shaking in her hands.

'How long d'you think it'll take,' said James, 'for Vanessa to realise she'll never catch Siri – whoa! Watch it, guys! _Reparo_.'

'Sorry?' said Lily. 'Vanessa can catch Sirius. Easily. Watch her. GO, NESSA!'

'Pfft – "go, Nessa?"' James scoffed. 'Is that the best you can do?'

'I'd love to see you do better in the short span of a millisecond,' Lily retorted.

'Ahem,' said Mrs Potter in her fragile voice. 'James, would you like to show Lily and Vanessa to their room?'

'Er … sure,' James muttered. 'Guys,' he said in a louder voice to Vanessa and Sirius, who were now circling James's glass table, 'oi, you two.'

'I'll show you how it's done,' said Lily superiorly. She raised her wand and chanted, '_Petrificus Totalus!_' pointing to Sirius.

The victim froze over immediately, and fell on the floor.

'Aha!' screeched Vanessa. 'Thanks, Lily!'

Instead of the physical damage Vanessa had intended to inflict, she summoned her handbag and unzipped it. She rattled the contents of her bag until she found what she was looking for.

'Vanessa, that's enough,' said Lily. 'Come on, already.'

'Wait …' said Vanessa, concentrating hard for a minute. 'There. Done. Doesn't he look _much _prettier?'

That was a matter of opinion, James thought. Sirius looked different, that was for sure. Lily and James had to bite back their laughs; neither of them could say they've seen Sirius with bright pink lip gloss, tons of eye liner, silver eye shadow and hot pink cheeks, which all clashed horribly with his dark blue mascara. If he got rid of his stubble, and if he was less muscular, he could have passed as a girl, Lily thought.

'Nessa, let's _go_,' said Lily, tugging Vanessa.

The two followed James up the stairs with their bags, while Mrs Potter searched for her camera.

'I've gotta admit,' said Vanessa mildly, 'your house is pretty cool.'

'Erm … thanks,' said James awkwardly.

They walked past a number of doors in silence, until they reached the end of the corridor. There were two doors, adjacent.

'Right, so here's how it's gonna go,' said James, opening the door to the left of Vanessa. 'You two are gonna be sharing this room with Mum's friends' kids Brody and Rachel. They're bearable,' he added, looking at Vanessa's anguished face. 'It's Stephen and Mike you wanna watch out for. But they'll be with me and Sirius in the room next door. Anything you two want?'

Lily and Vanessa shook their heads.

'Okay … I'll just let you ladies, erm, get used to …' he said, trailing off and leaving the room.

'Erm, James?' Lily piped up.

James spun round quickly.

'Ye-es?' he said, in a voice that didn't in any way sound like his normal.

'Thanks,' said Lily warmly, 'for everything.'

'No problem,' he said fervently, subconsciously running a hand through his hair; Lily had to bit back another laugh.

James left them then.

'Aaaaah!' squealed Vanessa. '_Look_ at our room!'

'I wonder why there're so many rooms for a family of three,' said Lily thoughtfully.

'Who cares? Lils, look at our roooom!'

Lily looked up and saw she quite liked the room. It looked like it had once been a nursery for a small child. The room was painted baby blue with a few white smiley faces. Most of the walls were hidden by furniture, though, and some of the bits which weren't were covered in photos. Lily strode over to some, to take a good look at them.

There was one of Peter, Sirius, James and Remus standing arm-in-arm, laughing at the camera. This looked a lot like sixth-year, full of life; not knowing how hard N.E.W.T.s would be … Lily sighed happily, before turning her eyes to another photo – a family photo. Mrs Potter looked much younger, smiling widely and standing next to an older look-alike of James. There was the real James standing in front of them, but he was so small … if she had the heart, Lily would've teased him about this photo. She smirked, content.

'Lils, do you enjoy perving on photos of your future husband?' Vanessa joked, jumping on the bed. 'Whoa, springy. This's gonna be fu-u-un …'

'They're really cute,' said Lily defensively, turning her back on them.

'What, the bedsprings?'

'No, James. I mean the photos! Oh, leave me alone, I could do with some sleep.'

'Suit yourself,' Vanessa chirped.

She hopped off the bed and left the room, smiling to herself.

Lily paced to the bed and collapsed on it, not bothering with sorting out the many blankets.

*.*.*

'Are you sure she's alive?' came a deep, concerned voice.

'_Yes,_ James,' said Vanessa impatiently.

'But it doesn't look like she's breathing …'

'Well, she is.'

'She has no pulse in her wrist!'

'Have you tried her neck, Prongs?'

Lily felt a bit of the blanket get pulled away from her face, and warm fingers feel her neck.

'Got it,' said James.

'Dude, you can take your hand off her now.'

'I was getting to that, Sirius,' said James, among giggles.

Giggles?

Lily opened her eyes as much as they would open in the bright light.

'You woke her up,' said Vanessa reproachfully.

'She's definitely alive,' Sirius laughed.

Lily pushed some of the bedcovers off her and looked around the room, thinking someone – probably James – had tucked her in. There were unfamiliar children, who Lily suspected were James's mother's friends' children.

'Sorry,' Lily mumbled. 'Did I oversleep?'

'No,' said James quickly. 'I just thought you died in your sleep or something … we've been calling you for a while.'

'Oh?'

'Yeah, we wanted you to decorate the house with us,' said a small blonde girl, jumping up and down on the floor. 'But you didn't wake up.'

'Aw, I'm sorry, sweetie,' said Lily warmly. 'Maybe next Christmas.'

'_Next_ Christmas?' laughed Sirius.

'Will we even know each other then?' James said.

A dark-haired boy gasped. 'Are you breaking up with her, James?' he whispered.

Vanessa gasped and laughed.

'Whoa!' said Lily, leaping out of bed. 'Erm – one thing: James and I _aren't_ dating.'

'So _you're_ breaking up with _him_?' said a brunette.

'No,' said Lily desperately. 'We were never going out!'

'Someone's in denial …' said the dark-haired boy under his breath.

Lily was about to object, when the blonde child said, 'Hey! It's _snowing_!' and distracting everyone.

James caught Lily's eye and jerked his head in a "That's kids for you" way. Lily nodded, smiling grimly.

The kids were ready to play outside in the snow half an hour later, when they were wrapped in their woolly hats, scarves and gloves. Sirius and Vanessa wanted to join in, but Lily and James decided to keep Mrs Potter company in the living room, where the fireplace was roaring, and marshmallows were being roasted on sticks.

Mrs Potter was telling many stories of James as a young child, until James, with plum-coloured cheeks, refused to let her tell any more. She then got out her _Evening Prophet _and began reading. She was too absorbed to notice Lily was still mocking James.

'Oh, dear me …' said Mrs Potter, still reading the paper. 'Oh, dear …'

Her hands began trembling as she put her paper down. She looked up at Lily and James, with fearful eyes.

'Mum?' said James. 'What's wrong?

He rushed over to sit by her on the sofa, and Lily followed suit, dropping her marshmallow and stick with a loud clatter.

'Mrs Potter?'

'Oh, dear …' said Mrs Potter.

'Was it the paper?' said James clearly, as though he was speaking to a slow person.

'Yes,' said Mrs Potter faintly. 'There's been an attack. At Hogwarts.'

Lily gasped loudly. Without thinking, James took Lily's hand and squeezed it reassuringly, while saying to his mother, 'Who? Was it one of the teachers?'

Lily couldn't help but pick up a hint of hopefulness in James's tone.

'No,' whispered Mrs Potter. 'One of the students. A small first-year, in Gryffindor, Sarah Watson …'

'Who's she?' Lily asked James in a quiet voice.

'The little first-year who gave Vanessa and Alice those Chocolate Frogs,' whispered James, before turning back to his mother. 'Is she okay?'

Lily shook off James's hand and grabbed the _Evening Prophet_, skim-reading it. James watched her eyes flicker from side to side with every line she read.

Her breathing became uneven by the time she had finished reading.

'James, Sarah was found unconscious a few hours ago,' said Lily softly, 'on the seventh-floor corridor with these two small marks on her neck … No one's reported anything yet a – and she's been transferred to St Mungo's … even Madam Pomfrey couldn't cure her! Sarah's been completely paralysed, and –'

Something about Lily's expression made James want to reach out and hug her, tell her everything would be all right, and that St Mungo's could cure almost anyone. It didn't matter much that Mrs Potter was right next to him. The only thing stopping him was –

_SPLAT!_

'Haha,' laughed Sirius. 'I got you good. Come out, there's plenty of snow for everyone.'

No one replied.

'Merlin, aren't we all in the Christmas spirit, aren't we?' he said.

James threw the _Evening Prophet _at him.

After a minute, Sirius said in his most solemn voice, 'We're going to get to the bottom of this, I swear.'

*.*.*

There wasn't a lot they could do for Sarah now. They visited her in St Mungo's a couple of days later, but things were getting busier as Christmas drew nearer.

Brody, Rachel, Stephen and Mike's parents came to Godric's Hollow to stay with the Potters, which meant there had to be more cooking done, and the children needed more attention. Mrs Potter kept them entertained for a while by showing them photos of how Vanessa had done Sirius's make-up. Vanessa threatened to make copies and owl them to everyone in Hogwarts, unless Sirius pretended to be a unicorn for Brody and Rachel, who were both too young to go to Hogwarts, and had never seen a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest.

'Two days 'til Christmas!' squealed Rachel. '_Two_! Aren't you excited, James?'

'Meh,' said James lazily. 'I prefer Christmas Eve.'

Rachel looked as though James had said he hated Christmas altogether. 'How could you _say_ such a thing?' she gasped. 'Don't you like getting presents?'

'I like waiting,' smiled James. 'I'm patient. I could wait for almost a lifetime.'

'Boy, do we know that,' said Vanessa quietly.

Lily nudged her hard in the ribs.

'Erm … I need to try phoning my parents,' Lily announced. 'Do you know where I can get signal in this place? There're no bars on my mobile.'

'Signal?' said Sirius curiously. 'Mobile? Phoning? _Bars_? Cool, you get bars on your mobile?'

'Further proof that you should've taken Muggle Studies,' said Lily. 'I'll just stroll around the village.'

'Are you sure?' said Vanessa. 'It's a li'l dark outside …'

'It's always dark outside in winter,' said Lily under her breath.

She withdrew her phone and calling card, and made her way out of the cottage.

'Psst,' said Sirius, 'Vanessa?'

'What?' said Vanessa grumpily, folding her arms. She was still mad at Sirius.

'What's a phone and how does it work?'

'Maybe another time,' said James quickly, seeing a long and complicated explanation coming on. 'Let's go, Padfoot. We have to catch Moony and Wormtail.'

'Ew,' said Stephen. 'Why would you want to catch a maggot?'

'Shut it, tyke,' said James friendlily, ruffling Stephen's messy hair.

'He's a James in progress,' Vanessa said, making Brody and Rachel laugh.

The Marauders didn't seem to hear her. Vanessa watched James and Sirius don their hats and coats, before James quickly kissed his mother goodbye in the other room, and left.

'Where're they going, Vanessa?' Rachel asked sweetly.

'I don't know,' said Vanessa thoughtfully, 'but I hope they don't do anything stupid.'

'Tch,' said Mike. 'With Sirius around … a lot of things can go wrong.'

'Speaking of going wrong, I wonder where Lily's got to,' Vanessa wondered aloud.

'And Lily relates to going wrong how …?' Mike said.

Vanessa stared at him until he looked away from her gaze.

'I'm going to go out and look for her,' Vanessa mumbled. '_Only_ tell Mrs Potter where I've gone if she asks,' she added sternly.

'Okay,' said Mike innocently, hiding his hands behind his back.

Vanessa stared at him suspiciously, before leaving, slamming the door loudly behind her.

'Good Godric,' said Mrs Potter, tottering into the room, from the kitchen. 'What was that?'

'Vanessa,' Mike smiled. 'She just left. She's gone out looking for Lily.'

Mrs Potter's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her sockets. Her lips made a perfect 'o'.

*.*.*

'Okay, _what_ was that?' Rachel asked.

'What was what?' Mike replied.

'You just totally ratted Vanessa out,' said Brody.

'She told me to only tell Mrs Potter if she _asks_,' said Mike smugly. 'And she did ask. Technically.'

'Mike, this isn't funny,' Rachel squeaked. 'They've practically set up a search party, and everyone's going to end up getting lost and –'

'Now, now,' said Rachel's mother, a kind-faced, sweet-toned woman, 'nothing's going to go wrong. If Lily said she was only going to stroll around the village, then they can't have gone far.'

'You'd be surprised at how much can go wrong with those guys,' said Stephen darkly.

'That's enough,' Rachel's mother smiled. 'I think all of you had best get off to bed. Don't want to be tired for Christmas Eve tomorrow, now, do you?'

'It's only Christmas _Eve_, Mum,' said Rachel grouchily. 'It's nothing like Christmas _Day_.'

'You're still going to bed, Missy,' Rachel's mother laughed.

*.*.*

'Wait, I think I heard something moving,' hissed Mike's father.

He whipped his lit wand in the direction of the rustling.

'You had sent an owl to James and Sirius, hadn't you?' whispered Mrs Potter.

'Yes,' said Mike's father. 'Do you reckon the others may have already found Lily and Vanessa? We're getting nowhere here.'

'I asked them to send a sparks in the air if they find the girls,' said Mrs Potter. 'I think –'

A piercing scream, a hair-lifting scream cut off Mrs Potter's sentence. She and Mike's father spun on their feet, only to catch a glimpse of a flash of bright green light somewhere in the distance, behind hedges and trees.

Mrs Potter was frozen on the spot, terrified, but a loud shout afterwards made her go after Mike's father, who was already heading for the scene. She was later stopped by the sight of cloaked figures on broomsticks in the dark sky, flying in the opposite direction. There seemed to be two people on one of the broomsticks, the second one supporting the first.

When Mrs Potter resumed following Mike's father, it was to find her friends all huddled around Lily and Vanessa.

'Are you girls okay?' Mrs Potter semi-screeched.

'Fine,' gasped Vanessa, although she had a large gash on her left cheek.

'Perfect,' sniffed Lily, wrapping her winter scarf around her forehead to stop the flow of blood.

'Let's get you girls indoors,' said Mike's father in an attempt to brighten the mood.

Once they were back home, Lily and Vanessa were given mugs of strong, hot chocolate, and the latter was still telling the story to the little ones in the living room; the adults had moved on to discussing this seriously in the kitchen.

'– so after hearing this weird beeping sound, I turned around and saw Lily. I was like, "LILY!" and some sparks even shot out from my wand, which I think might be how these people found us. Death Eaters, no doubt. They used some sort of a wordless spell on me before they went for Lily.

'So one of the guys with the biggest mask had his back turned to me as he lifted his wand at Lily, and then – BAM. I got him with the Full Body Bind Curse.'

'The Full Body Bind Curse?' Sirius snorted, slamming the front door behind him.

'It was the first thing I thought of!' Vanessa said defensively. 'I'd love to see you work under lots of pressure.'

'Any day,' Sirius retorted.

Lily was about to ask what they were doing there when James enveloped her in a warm, tight hug.

'Whoa,' Lily said, before hugging James back. 'If this is what I get for being attacked by Death Eaters, I think I wanna get attacked more often.'

'Not funny,' said James. 'Okay, funny, but still. What if something _serious_ had happened to you and Vanessa?'

'Might wanna skedaddle,' Sirius said to the kids. 'This could get sickly sweet.' He then ushered the kids out of the living room and up the stairs, while Vanessa watched him, a smile spread her face.

'What would it mean to you, anyway?' said Lily softly. 'I mean, we're just some girls you happen to know, who're staying in your house for the Christmas holidays. Right?'

'I wouldn't be able to explain to your parents, actually,' James grinned.

'Don't bother,' Lily said. 'Petunia would've probably convinced them it was for the good of the world.'

'My neck would still be on the line,' James pointed out.

'So, basically, you're trying to keep us safe … so that you stay safe?' said Vanessa shrewdly. 'And not for any other reason? Like how you've had this major huge, totally freaky crush on Lily since –'

Lily gave Vanessa another nudge in the ribs and silenced her with a look.

'Hey, about that crush,' said James, raising his hands in an "I surrender" kind of way, 'I'm well over it. In fact, I even have a girlfriend – who I'm really into. We've been dating for a few weeks, in fact. Just kept it a secret. You know how jealous people get …'

'What?' said Lily.

'_What?_' said Sirius.

'Yeah, right,' smirked Vanessa.

'Dude, I can't believe you didn't tell me,' said Sirius, staggered.

'I did,' said James. 'You know Ashley Campbell.'

'_Ashley Campbell_?' Vanessa repeated. '_Her_?'

'The chick you got into a fight with after Aaliyah's funeral?' said Sirius insensitively.

'Uh … yeah,' said James. '_Remember_, Sirius?' he said in a weird way, as if he was trying to get Sirius to read between the lines.

'No, I – ow! Yes, I remember now! I got her mixed up with … thingy … that other girl …'

'I heard Campbell's going out with Mark something or the other,' said Vanessa shrewdly.

'Was,' said Sirius quickly. 'Not any more, he's out of the picture, no one likes him, he's gone, buh-bye, toodle-oo, cheerio.'

'Why her?' Lily asked curiously, ignoring Sirius. 'I mean, you – you said you didn't like –'

'He's seen the light, Flower,' said Sirius. 'Hallelujah. Thank Merlin! He's over you, get over it. Who wants a drink? I'm thirsty. Come on, Gills!'

'Whoa, I don't want a – Siriussss!'

Sirius had grabbed Vanessa's wrist and pulled her into the kitchen.

'I don't get the problem,' said James. 'You have what's-his-fa –'

'_Jason_,' said Lily. 'And I don't have a problem, why would I have a problem? Who has a problem with – I don't have a problem! You can date whoever you like. I don't care. Why would I care? Who cares, anyway? I certainly don't. I have no reason to. See, I don't care!'

'Good,' smiled James. 'Anyway … we'd better get back to Remus. We said we wouldn't stay long unless we had to.'

'Okay,' said Lily, her voice a few octaves higher than usual. She cleared her throat and said, 'You and Sirius go. Remus needs you. I wouldn't count on Peter for werewolf maintenance, poor thing.'

'Uh … sure. I'll just go get Sirius …'

As he passed her, she felt his alluring scent tickle her nose. He paused for a moment and looked back slightly, before continuing his way to the kitchen to fetch Sirius.

'And no leaving the house this time, you naughty girls,' Sirius said cheekily as he and James headed for the front door.

'Of course not,' said Lily softly, thoughtfully.

'Bye, Lily,' said James sadly.

'Later, Evans,' Sirius winked.

Once he had slammed the door shut, Sirius immediately hissed, 'Dude, what the _heck_ was that?'

'What was what, Sirius?' said James innocently, as they trod down the pathway and out of the gate.

'That! You totally broke the poor girl's heart. I never thought I'd find myself being sympathetic here … wow.'

'Well, she has no feelings for me, I have no feelings for her –'

'You blatantly are still madly in love with her, and she's obviously developing feelings for you. Why would you just –?'

'She likes me?' said James abruptly, coming to a halt. 'How d'you know?'

'Prongs, Prongs, Prongs,' said Sirius, shaking his head and clapping James's back. 'I've seen plenty of girls fall in love with me. They all do the same things. Blush a lot, giggle a lot, laugh at all your jokes, like hanging out with you, hate it when you're away … the standard stuff. Lily passes the test with an O.'

'Well … she didn't say anything, so –'

'Dude, that's low.'

'She's with that Downs boy.'

'She doesn't want to be.'

'She could just walk away.'

'She's more of a fighter than that.'

'She shouldn't be.'

'Oh?' said Sirius. 'So, when the time comes, you wouldn't want her to fight for _you_?'

'That won't matter,' said James. 'That time's never gonna come.'

'You don't know that.'

'And neither do you.'

'Bet on it,' grinned Sirius, extending his hand. 'Ten galleons.'

'Mate, you don't _have_ ten galleons,' James laughed. 'You spent it all on the lunch trolley on the train.'

'I will if I win this,' said Sirius.

'And you won't, so … deal,' grinned James, taking Sirius's hand. 'You're on.'

* * *

Friday 23rd December 1977


	22. A Hot Christmas Day

- Chapter Twenty-two -

~ A Hot Christmas Day ~

It was _finally_ here – the day _everyone_ in Godric's Hollow had been waiting for: Christmas. Children had been running around the house since six in the morning, eager for the adults to wake up, so they could all open their Christmas presents together.

'Wake up, James, wake up!' Mike screamed, jumping on his friend. 'Wake _up_.'

'Mm,' said James groggily. 'What's the t – t – t – time?' he yawned.

'It's eight o'clock now!' Stephen said crossly. 'You've killed two hours already! _Two_. Everyone's waiting for you downstairs!'

'Wha –?' said James, sitting up immediately. 'Even Sirius?'

'Yes, Banana Brain,' sighed Mike. 'Get up.'

'How can _Sirius_ wake up before _me_?'

'He knew not to keep the ladies waiting,' said Mike, winking meaningfully.

'Eurgh, get off me, Mike,' James said, kicking the kid off his knees.

By the time James had brushed his teeth and hair, got dressed and had gotten downstairs, Mike and Stephen had already half-finished the box of Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans they had meant to give to James.

'Finally,' squealed Rachel. 'We can open presents!'

James found his pile under the Christmas tree; it was fairly large, as expected. He opened the first few presents on the pile, to see that he had been given a miniature Snitch from Mike's parents, a miniature broomstick from Stephen's parents, and a miniature James from Rachel's parents, which actually spoke like the real James. From this mother, he received a picture book on Quidditch games from the last Quidditch World Cup – this would keep him amused for an extremely long time. Sirius had given James a pretty, little silver necklace with the letter 'L' on it, covered in crystals, and a box of Chocolate Frogs (because Sirius is weird like that, thought James); Remus sent him lilies and a box labelled _Pranksters'_ _Gizmos_ _and_ _Gadgets_, and Peter gave James a new cologne, which smelt surprisingly appealing.

After all of this, there was one last present underneath the pile. The wrapping paper was extremely Christmassy and decorative, and wrapped neatly. James checked the tag. It read, 'James, Merry Christmas, love Lily,' in pretty, neat handwriting.

James's heartbeat quickened almost immediately. With hands shaking ever so slightly, he carefully pulled apart the wrapping paper. There in his hands was a framed photo of James's friends and Lily's friends lounging around on the grass next to the lake. James couldn't remember this being taken. When the people in the photo realised James was staring at them, they all sat up, smiled and waved, besides Sirius who folded his arms and grinned knowingly.

The frame itself was pretty, too. It was silver and had little swirls on the corners; not too girly, but still passed as pretty.

'Wow,' whispered James.

'I saw you had loads of photos in your room,' said Lily softly from next to James. 'I thought you might like to add this to your collection.'

James was lost for words. He just smiled and looked grateful.

'Er … so, haven't you got anything for Evans, Prongs?' said Sirius pointedly.

It suddenly hit James. 'Yes! I do!'

'You do?' said Lily, confused. 'I didn't open –'

'I have it here!' said James.

He discreetly pulled out his wand and waved it, while Sirius distracted Lily by taking her new spell book. The wrapping paper Sirius and Remus had used for James's presents suddenly wrapped themselves around the necklace box and the flowers.

'Here,' said James, handing the newly-wrapped gifts to Lily, while mentally thanking his clever friends.

Lily opened the necklace box first. She lifted the lid and gasped.

'Good luck getting that on,' said Sirius, while staring at James meaningfully.

'Oh, er, I'll help you out there,' said James.

He took the necklace delicately from the box, while Lily moved her hair away from her neck. As James's fingers fiddled with the hook of the necklace, Lily closed her eyes, savouring the moment. She could feel her neck tingle wherever James's hands or fingers just happened to brush against it.

'Got it,' said James under his breath; the warmth tickled Lily, who repressed a shudder.

'Thanks,' Lily smiled, turning back to him. 'It's so pretty …'

'I've got good taste,' said Sirius smugly, brushing back his hair casually.

'Sirius, _you_ picked this?'

James nudged Sirius hard in the ribs and quickly said, 'Er, no he didn't. He just wishes he did. Wishes he was the reason your smile looks so radiant.'

Lily blushed deeply and bit back a smile with more effort than she thought she could handle. She mumbled yet another 'thanks' and glided off as quickly as she could.

'Whoa!' said Mike. 'Full on tomato, much. What happened to _you_?'

'She just saw James,' Brody giggled.

'Oh, be quiet, Brody,' Lily said, getting her voice back.

The rest of the day proceeded with a lot of Lily-teasing, laughing, joking and eating especially. Mrs Potter's turkey was absolutely spectacular, even Vanessa, the one who was always careful when it came to eating, had second helpings.

Remus and Peter dropped by the Potters' cottage, which brought on a heavy snowball fight, as Sirius hadn't gone a Christmas without beating his friends up since they met and didn't see why this Christmas should be any different.

Lily and Vanessa watched with mild amusement, sipping their hot chocolates whenever they were sure Sirius wouldn't get them.

'Kids,' Lily laughed, as Remus aimed a snowball at Sirius, who ducked, so it hit Peter square in the face.

Lily lifted her mug up to her lips again, not seeing Sirius gather some of the ice-cold, soft snow and grin at her evilly. She finished her beverage to find Sirius's evil eyes on her – she saw the snowball leave his hands – she closed her eyes, expecting an icy blow – she felt nothing …

Lily opened her eyes again, and found a very messy James in front of her.

'James,' Lily gasped, beginning to smile, 'you took that for me?'

'No,' said James, ridding his face of snow, 'I was trying to get back inside.'

'Oh, really?' Vanessa said mockingly.

'Yes,' James emphasised.

'Or maybe … you were just setting yourself up for _this_,' said Lily, as she threw an extremely large snow cube at James.

It was James's turn to gasp. 'You'd better start running,' he said, grinning.

'Catch me if you can,' Lily called, running far off into streets of thick, untouched snow.

'Just watch,' said James, before leaping after her, past the village square.

Vanessa, however, was watching Peter and Remus, along with Mike and Stephen, bombard a helpless Sirius with tons of snow.

Meanwhile, James had finally caught Lily, securing his arms around her waist.

'James, your arms are _cold_!' Lily squealed, laughing. 'Let _go_!'

'First say: "James is the best."'

'James is the best,' Lily repeated.

'And that I'm the fastest.'

'And he is the fastest,' said Lily obediently.

'And that no one in the world compares to me.'

'And that no one in the world compares to me,' said Lily tonelessly.

'No, that no one in the world compares to _me_, as in James Potter.'

'No,' said Lily flatly. She then grinned at James's shocked expression, before realising their faces were merely inches away from each other.

Without knowing quite what she was doing, Lily turned around, so she was still in James's arms, but properly facing him. Her breathing turned heavy for seconds as she looked up into his eyes.

Unconsciously, he leaned his warm face in, just as she did … their eyes closed softly, and their lips met, softer still.

Seconds passed – or it could have been minutes – but neither wanted to move from the spot, or let go of the bundle of warmth in their arms. In fact, the extraordinary moment in time was only broken by –

'Lily? Lily, James? Are you guys out here?'

The two broke apart immediately, both breathing heavily. They looked into each others' eyes, Lily's full of fear, and James's full of confusion.

'Come on, quick,' James whispered, taking Lily's gloved hand.

He led her to where Vanessa and Remus were calling for them; James even managed to fake a grin.

'I caught her,' he said happily, releasing Lily's fingers. 'And I got her to admit I'm the best.'

'Really?' said Vanessa, raising her eyebrows in scepticism.

'Maybe,' said Lily shyly.

'Let's get you in, you look _frozen_,' said Vanessa, changing the subject for her friend. 'What have you been doing out here? Making snow angels?'

'No, but that would've been a good idea,' said James enthusiastically.

He made to turn around, but Remus grabbed his arm and dragged him after Lily and Vanessa, who were making their way back to James's house.

From then on, Lily avoided James; at dinner, in the living room, waiting outside the bathroom – wherever he was, she wouldn't go there, and if she had to, she'd always avoid his gaze, avoid _everyone's_ gaze. James, however, needed to talk to her.

He knew what was on her mind, knew she was feeling guilty, guilty for practically betraying Jason … and maybe repulsive towards herself, perhaps, for … enjoying every second of the kiss.

No, that was silly to think Lily Evans, _the_ Lily Evans would think that. Jason was probably way better, anyway … not that he, James, would know _or_ care. It was silly how Lily had James thinking, feeling, even wishing that she actually liked him.

_No_, James thought strongly, staring at his bedroom's ceiling while blocking out the sound of the boys' light breathing, _I _don't_ like her._

_That's because you _love_ her_, said a nasty little voice in the back of James's mind.

No, _I don't. I've been barking up that tree for _years_ now, and I'll I've got from it is, well, pain. I'm not going back to that._

_She kissed you back_, the devilish voice reminded him. _She likes you_.

_She _has _a boyfriend_, James fought back.

_Who she isn't happy with. Talk to her, James. You know you should …_

James made up his mind. He crept out of bed and tiptoed over Mike and Stephen in their sleeping bags. He walked across the corridor and ever so quietly knocked on Lily and Vanessa's door. No reply came. Vanessa was asleep. This was good.

Just to check, James snuck his head around the door and saw only one lump in the bed. Lily had gone out on her night time walk again; that was becoming more of a tradition at James's house than at Hogwarts. Lily loved going for late night walks, James knew. It cleared her mind, James knew. She was trying to sort out a conflict inside of her now, James knew. He always used to see her on her solitary strolls, hands in her pocket, hair flying with the wind … she never saw him spying – well, intently observing her from a distance.

Now all he had to do was find her, and when he did, his excuse to bring her back would be that it's far too dangerous to be out alone at night. Yes.

He shoved on a coat and reached for his scarf before setting out to go Lily-hunting, not for the first time in his life.

He began marching carefully, as the snow was slowly turning to ice.

_How would Lily manage?_ James thought to himself. Almost automatically, he reached for the fence, using this as his support. His feet wobbled underneath his weight. His hands let go of the fence and he ended up doing the splits.

'AH!' he gasped loudly.

'James? What on earth -?'

James flailed his hands madly, as if to say, 'HELP!'

Lily hastened immediately, crossing more snow and giving James a hand. He took it quickly, and was up in no time; what was going to happen next, Lily hadn't thought that far ahead.

'Ahem,' said James awkwardly. 'If you tell anyone about that, I'll –'

'Got it,' said Lily flatly, turning around and heading back home.

'Wait,' said James, hurrying after her. He slipped on more ice, and took Lily down with him.

'Will you get off me?' said James to a glaring Lily, whose face was, once again, inches away from him. 'I'm trying to tell you something.'

'This is _your _fault,' hissed Lily. 'And whatever you've got to say, I don't want to hear it.'

She leapt up and helped James get to his feet again before trying to storm off.

'Wait, Lily, please,' he panted, loosely holding Lily's hand.

She froze at his touch. He moved to face her, before asking, 'How can you _walk_ in this?'

'They're called boots. Done? Great. See you never. Hopefully.'

He pulled her back when she made to head home again.

'What, James?' Lily sighed.

'I should be asking you that,' he said. 'You haven't talked to me in _days_. Please, Lily, what was so wrong with … with what happened?'

'Erm … _everything_,' she said. 'I _have_ a boyfriend, and you have Ashley Campbell – and here I am _kissing_ some other guy –'

'Kissed,' said James. 'We kissed. It's not like something that's always going on. And, Lily, let's face it: you _liked _it.'

'Didn't.'

'If you didn't, you would've stopped me.'

'I'm beginning to wish I did.'

'Lily, it's not like he's stayed faithful!' James burst out. He regretted it instantly.

'What?' Lily whispered, hurt clear in her voice.

'Nothing, just …'

'You're saying Jason's cheating on me?'

'I didn't say that –'

'Yes, you did. I can't believe you could say such a thing. That's low, even for an arrogant _toerag_ who can't _get it in his head_ that his head's too _fat_ for him to date some girls.'

'Yeah? Well, that's just rich coming from a stuck-up dirtbag who thinks the world revolves around her. I'm not after you. And I wish I never was. I don't know what I used to see in you; whatever it was must've died along with my feelings.'

He left her then, walking carefully so as not to slip.

And there Lily was, standing in James's garden, working too hard not to let tears spill. No. She couldn't, she wouldn't, even if there _was_ no one watching. This was just like the old times. She would push away her feelings for him by insulting him, and he would try to hide the pain she could still see in his eyes by insulting her back. And then they'd both walk away, both trying not to cry.

It took a minute for Lily to regain control over herself and go back inside, where it somehow felt less warm than outside. She took off her coat to hang on the peg, and felt something warm brush against her hand: the necklace. She tightly wrapped her fist around it and broke it off, throwing it hard on the ground and stamping where she thought it was (it was hard to tell in the dark).

Hogwarts was to reopen the next day. She would be able to get away from him at school, as long as she avoided the common room. But did she want to? She wanted to shout some more at him, get it all out. She wanted him to not ignore her whenever she walked past him.

When Lily had finally crept into bed, she folded her legs in and let the tears escape, whimpering occasionally, only stopping to make sure Vanessa was still asleep.

*.*.*

'Have you got everything packed, James, dear?' said Mrs Potter. She sounded dreadfully down. The cottage would be empty again after James, Lily, Sirius and Vanessa leave for Hogwarts, and she would, once again, be alone.

'Yes, Mum,' said James with a hint of exasperation.

'Forgetting anything? Anything at all?'

'No, Mum.'

'Where's your coat?'

'… One sec, Mum.'

'Oi, get mine too, mate,' Sirius called from the sofa.

James unhooked his and Sirius's coat from their pegs, and was about to chuck Sirius his when something glittery on the floor caught his eye.

He bent down and picked up a necklace. He breathed in sharply and stuffed it in his coat pocket before throwing Sirius's coat across the living room to him.

'I'm all good to go,' said James.

'Wait for the girls, dear,' said Mrs Potter.

'Do we have to?' James groaned.

Mrs Potter peered sternly at her son.

When they had finally arrived at Platform Nine and Three-quarters, James was quick to drag Sirius away, claiming he needed to find Remus and Peter, and thought he saw them go in the train.

'What's up with _him_?' said Vanessa quietly.

'Couldn't care less,' Lily said even quieter.

'What's up with _you_?' Vanessa asked. 'Both of you are so … off. Did something happen?'

'Nothing that you should know about,' said Lily curtly. She quickly smiled to not look to rude.

'Kids,' said Vanessa.

Lily ignored her and turned to Mrs Potter.

'Thank you _so_ much for everything, Mrs Potter,' she said fervently. 'I had an absolutely amazing time, and I owe it all to you.'

'Now, now, dear,' Mrs Potter smiled, patting Lily's cheek, 'it was my pleasure.'

'Thank you, Mrs Potter,' Vanessa smiled hastily. 'For everything. See you soon.'

Mrs Potter smiled at the two before saying, 'Hopefully,' and Apparating back to her little house.

It was hard to avoid James on the train: they both had their Heads' duties. Fortunately, after they had spoken to the prefects, they patrolled the train at different ends. Even then, though, they occasionally bumped into each other.

'Watch where you're going, Potter,' said Lily quietly.

'I can't see around your fat head, Evans,' James snapped back.

'Would you look who's talking? The _king_ of the fatheads.'

'You'd be the queen, except, oh yeah, I can't _stand you_.'

'I don't need to be queen, your head's fat enough for both titles.'

'Excuse me? King and Queen Fathead?' said an impertinent fifth-year Slytherin. 'You're blocking the entrance to my compartment. Thank you.'

Lily and James glowered at each other one last time before continuing their patrol again, both in shaky anger.

When the students got back to Hogwarts, the seventh-years found they had to all go to their Head of House's office for the confirming of their work experience placements.

'Oh!' Alice squealed, pushing past James and Sirius. 'I wanna know, I wanna know, I wanna know –'

'Alice?' said James. 'Er … stairs're this way …'

Alice backtracked and went up the stairs to Professor McGonagall's office with her friends.

'Calm down, Alice,' Cassie laughed.

She tentatively knocked on the Transfiguration teacher's office door, and was the first to enter when she was told to.

'Ah, seventh-years,' said McGonagall, sounding somewhat happy. 'You have all been assigned work places, and health and safety checks have been taken. It is time to find out where you will be going … I have tried to place you all in your first choices, besides you, Miss Evans, who didn't give a preference.'

Lily blushed slightly, but didn't break her gaze.

McGonagall handed waved her wands, and eight pieces of parchment flew from her desk and into one of the students' hands each.

Lily gasped when she read hers:

_**Student**__ – Miss Lily Evans, Gryffindor  
__**Placement**__ – Auror Office, Ministry of Magic  
__**Placement**__**Supervisor**__ – Alastor Moody  
__**Placement**__**Aims**__**and**__**Objectives**__ – To learn about the running of the Auror office and such.  
__**Dress**__**Code**__ – Anything practical  
__**Working**__**Hours**__ – 9am-7pm  
__**Lunch**__**Details**__ – Two one-hour lunch breaks. Can go out or bring packed lunch.  
__**Is**__**an**__**interview**__**required**__? Yes  
__**Details**__ – Saturday 14__th__ January, come in the visitor's way at about 11am._

'Where're you, Lils?' said Vanessa excitedly, having leapt up and down with Alice.

'In the Auror Office of the Ministry,' said Lily weakly. 'You?'

'The _Magical Menagerie!_' she squealed, jumping up and down again.

Lily smiled faintly and turned back to her parchment.

'What's wrong, Lils?' Cassie asked, her smile fading. 'I'd love to go to the Ministry if I wasn't going to Honeydukes.'

'Nothing's wrong,' Lily smiled, while thinking back to weeks ago …

'_There has been a slight problem with your placement, Miss Evans,' said McGonagall. 'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour has closed for the winter. Now, we are not certain when your work experience shall be, but if it falls during winter, you'll have to go elsewhere. Where else would you like to go?'_

'_Anywhere,' said Lily in a resigned tone._

'_Very well,' she said, writing something down on her piece of parchment. She then turned to Alice, who cringed. 'Miss Knight, I'm afraid you are not allowed to join the Aurors, as you must be eighteen to do so. You turn eighteen in August.'_

'_What?' Alice said, outraged. 'I'm of age, though! Why can't I go?'_

'_That's just the rule, Miss Knight.'_

'_BRILLIANT,' James said loudly. 'If I become eighteen before or during work experience, can I go?'_

'_I suppose so,' McGonagall said in Lily's resigned tone._

If Lily did her thinking out properly, James was in the Auror Office with her.

* * *

Wednesday 4th January 1978

**A/N: *A toerag is a British insult. Lily called James it in OotP, so I thought I'd reuse it.**


	23. Magda and Pat

- Chapter Twenty-three -

~ Magda and Pat ~

'What's up, Flower?' said Sirius cheerfully. 'You've been playing with your food for ten minutes now,' he laughed. 'If you're not gonna eat it, please: don't hesitate to ask.'

It was lunch. Lily had past the first few lessons of the day wondering how to ask James where he was going for his work experience, and then wondering how to hide her disgust when she finds out she's with him.

'Shut up, Sirius,' Lily smiled. 'Hey, where are you for –'

'Quality Quidditch Supplies,' said Sirius somewhat proudly. 'And you?'

'Auror Office, Ministry,' said Lily. 'Where's –?'

'Old Prongsie's with me,' said Sirius quickly.

'I wasn't going to ask about Potter,' said Lily coldly, although she was grateful Sirius could read her intentions clearly. 'I was going to ask you where Remus was going.'

'If that was the case,' said Sirius smugly, 'you'd ask him yourself.'

'I would, but … Sirius, go away.'

Sirius grinned and turned back to his friends, who were laughing at how James had brought his pasta to life, and made them do the Hokey Cokey.

'Hey, Sirius?' said Lily softly, trying not to attract James's attention. 'Did you ask McGonagall about … that girl, the one with the snake bite?'

'Sarah Watson?' Sirius helped.

'Don't bother trying to help Evans remember Sarah's name, Sirius,' said James loudly. 'First-years are beneath her. She's too good for everyone.'

'Whoa,' said Lily. 'That is _way_ rich coming from a boy who's lived over seventeen years of his life thinking the world revolves around him.'

'At least I can remember people's names, because I don't place myself above them.'

'You know what?' Lily said, standing up and holding her school bag. 'I don't need this. I'm out of here. Congrats. You've put me off lunch. _Again_. Hope you're happy now, Potter.'

'She wasn't eating anything, anyway, mate,' said Sirius, clapping his friend's shoulder. 'Oooh, more food for me.'

'Should I even ask what went wrong?' Remus said, somewhat wearily.

James didn't answer. Something caught his eye, a book of some sort, lying next to where Lily was sitting. It had the same colour as Lily's hair. The word _Lily _was written in gold glitter on the front, and there was an assortment of small stickers around it, ranging from flowers to smiley faces.

Her diary.

Making sure Alice, Cassie and Vanessa were deep in conversation, James quietly summoned the book to him, and stowed it in his bag. Now all he had to do was make a choice: he could read it and send it around the school, or he could read it and give it back to her … or he could give it back to her as it is – and face her accusing him of reading it? No. He would surprise the witch.

*.*.*

'Heard you and that Potter boy had a fight at lunch today,' said Jason, wrapping an arm around Lily.

'Bet everyone has by now,' said Lily bitterly.

'Hey, don't be like that,' Jason said. 'I told you he was bad news. I told you to stay away from him. That's what you get for not listening to me. You won't not listen to me in the future, right?'

'If it makes one of us feel better … no, I won't,' said Lily tearfully.

'Don't get teary with me,' snapped Jason. 'I can't stand girls crying. They cry so much! They're like babies, only bigger! And less ugly.'

'Babies aren't _ugly_,' said Lily crossly. 'And I wasn't _going_ to start crying.'

'Are you disagreeing with me?' said Jason angrily.

'No,' she replied defiantly. 'I was just saying –'

But Jason wasn't listening any more. He took a look out of the empty classroom window, at the setting sun, and quickly muttered, 'I'd best be off.'

'But – wait – Jason! I need you!' Lily called hopelessly.

Jason had already left.

'Wanna know where he's going?' said James darkly, entering the classroom.

'Potter? Where did you – I already know where he's going. He's going to do his … homework. Yes, homework.'

'He's gone to his _other_ girlfriend.'

'He doesn't _have_ another girlfriend. You're just jealous, because Ashley Campbell isn't really dating you. Yeah, I heard about that.'

'Lily, I'm warning you,' James said sincerely, pacing closer. 'Downs is _trouble_. And that's saying something, coming from a trouble-maker himself.'

'Thanks for your concern, Potter,' said Lily coldly, 'but I think I know what I'm doing. And I think I can take care of myself, you jealous prat.'

James opened his mouth, but was spared of a retort when McGonagall's voice came from nowhere.

'Could all students please make their way to their common rooms? All staff report to the fifth-floor corridor immediately. Thank you.'

'What –?' Lily whispered, instinctively clutching onto James's arm in fear. 'What could've gone wrong?'

'You don't think someone's been attacked again, do you?' said James quietly, holding onto Lily protectively. 'Let's go check it out. What floor are we on?'

'James, we'll get into loads of trouble!' Lily whispered. 'Sixth-floor. We can't even make out that we were just passing by.'

'Let's go,' said James, steering Lily out of the classroom and down the stairs.

'James, we're going to get into trouble, please, let me go –'

'Sh!' James hushed; Lily obeyed immediately.

She and James tiptoed along the fifth-floor corridor, Lily jumping when her eyes caught the slightest movement that wasn't from her or her rule-breaking buddy.

'Will you stop that?' said James irritably. 'You must've snuck out at least _once_ before today.'

Lily said nothing.

'Hold it,' James whispered. 'Get in here –'

He chivvied Lily into a classroom and pressed her against the wall.

'Flatten up,' he whispered.

'You've obviously done that for me,' she said grumpily.

James pressed a finger to her lips, and Lily soon found out why. She could now hear the teachers talking hurriedly amongst themselves in the corridor.

'How could this –?'

'No witnesses at the scene –'

'_What do we do_?'

'There is only one thing to do now,' said Dumbledore, interrupting all of the other voices. 'We take the boy to St Mungo's discreetly. The Heads of Houses can inform their students what has happened. We then take measures for their protection. No one is safe.'

'We can't tell them that, Headmaster,' came the soft voice of Madam Pomfrey. 'They'll be _terrified_.'

'They'll be alert, as well, Poppy,' said Dumbledore gently.

'Dumbledore, students are being _attacked_,' said McGonagall. 'If Hogwarts remains open –'

James had to cover Lily's mouth when she squealed.

'We'll see how the new measures work,' said Dumbledore.

'And if all of these attacks do continue?' McGonagall pressed.

'We send the students home.'

Lily stared fearfully into James's eyes, but James just shook his head in a, "Don't worry, I'm not going to let this happen" way.

'James?' Lily whispered, when the teachers dispersed. 'We've got to beat McGonagall to the common room.'

It was James's turn to have fearful eyes.

*.*.*

'Can I have your attention, please?' McGonagall called over the noise after she entered the common room, leaving the portrait hole wide open. 'Some of you may be aware that a first-year Gryffindor, Sarah Watson, had been attacked last term. As some of you may have guessed, there has indeed been another attack, this time on a second-year Hufflepuff. We, therefore, have to take certain precautions to ensure your safety.

'No student, besides the Head Boy and Girl, is allowed to wander around alone, and no student, unless accompanied by a member of staff or the Head Boy and Girl, is allowed to be anywhere besides their common room after dark.'

McGonagall looked sadly around at her Gryffindors, before noticing –

'Where are the Heads? Mr Potter and Miss Evans?' She stared expectantly at Sirius.

'We're right here, Professor!' said Lily, trying not to sound breathless. She was stood behind a group behind Sirius.

'You weren't there when I looked last …' said McGonagall suspiciously.

'Yeah, we were,' said James. 'We've been here all along. Right, guys?'

A murmur of agreement steadily followed. McGonagall waved her hands for silence, still looking slightly suspicious.

'That is all for now,' she said, before turning to leave the common room.

Babble accompanied her exit, and most turned to Lily and James.

'I can't believe you forgot about the cloak,' said Lily crossly. 'All that time we were hiding –'

'La, la, la, la,' said James, covering his ears and walking off.

'You are _so_ obnoxious!' Lily shouted over him, following him.

'La, la, la, la!'

'You're the worst.'

'LA, LA, LA, LA!'

'You're not even worth it.'

She turned around and headed for the girls' dormitories; James's eyes followed her in confusion.

'… What just happened?'

*.*.*

What with the new measures taken to ensure the students' safety and her daily arguments with James, Lily was so glad work experience was finally here, even if she could only get away for the day.

That was until she got to her work place.

Predictably, Lily was bright and early and ready to work, in clothing which couldn't be any more practical. She was slightly nervous, largely thanks to Vanessa's pep talk:

'_Lils, don't worry,' she laughed, 'you're going to be fine. Everyone loves you. I'm sure Moody will, too. I mean, he's big and rough and tough, but I'm sure he has soft spots for people somewhere deep down … way deep down. Imagine deep, and make that deeper. In fact –'_

'_Not helping!' Lily squealed, waving her hands._

'_Okay, look,' said Vanessa, feeling quite tired, 'all you've got to do is to be less rational and more practical.'_

'_But I _am_ rational, and I'm _not_ all that practical, Ness, what do I do?' Lily groaned, covering her face with her hands._

'_Lily,' said Vanessa, 'all I can do now is wish you luck. Good luck. You're gonna need it,' she muttered under her breath._

Lily softly knocked on the office door, and heard a rough voice say, 'In.'

She opened the door, and froze over completely – not at the sight of Mad-Eye Moody, with his many scars – but at the dark-haired boy sitting opposite him. Lily could recognise that messy hair from anywhere.

'You!' she gasped. 'What're you doing here?'

James turned in his seat, took one look at Lily and groaned.

'I'm here to learn stuff about work, Evans,' he said, rolling his eyes. 'Why are you here? Isn't the Department of the Handling of Stuck-up Witches somewhere upstairs?'

'Very funny, Potter,' Lily said coldly, taking the seat next to him.

'So …' Moody interrupted. 'You two aren't very fond of each other, huh? All the more reason to pair the two of you up.'

'WHAT?'

'But, sir –'

'NO way –!'

'You can't –'

'PLEASE, don't do this to m –'

'SILENCE!' Moody roared over their complaints. 'As Aurors, we have to _try_ getting along with each other.'

'Oh, James and I get along with each other,' Lily said lightly, 'when we're, say, _a couple of continents apart_.'

'_Continents_? More like planets,' James scoffed.

'Solar systems –'

'Galaxies –'

'Universes – ha!'

'SILENCE!' Moody roared again, standing up. 'If the two of you do not get along, you will _fail_ the co-operation section of this work experience. Now, do you want to learn or would you rather play around like children?'

'Honestly, I'd –' James began quietly.

'Zip it,' Lily muttered.

'Good,' growled Moody. He strode over to his file cabinet, while quietly saying, 'I have a dangerous first assignment for the two of you. It's painful, and no one else in this department likes it. It is time-consuming, and it'll eventually eat you away …'

Instinctively, Lily quickly grabbed James's hand and pressed it tight in fear and anticipation.

'I need you to sort through these files of past criminals and archive files of the deceased. Can the two of you do that without dying?'

Lily breathed out a sigh of relief, and let go of James's hand without realising she had held onto it in the first place.

'Let's see,' James muttered, standing up and joining Moody.

This was going to be a long day.

'This is so depressing,' Lily sighed, looking pained. 'Look, this wizard died at only twenty-one. _Twenty_-_one_ … that's too young.'

'Evans, he was a criminal,' James said, rolling his eyes. 'He asked for it.'

'But, James, look,' she said, thrusting the file in his hands. 'They later discovered he was innocent. Oh, I hate this assignment …'

James stared at the file in shock, his lips tracing the name 'Patrick Bonham'.

Just then, Moody strode back into his office.

'How are you two getting on?' he said in his rough voice, whipping out his hip flask and taking a sip out of it.

'We're –' James began.

'Great,' said Moody. He then caught Lily staring curiously at his hip flask, and said, 'You can never be too careful, Evans. If someone spikes your drink, BAM. That's it. Finished. Always be one step ahead of the game.'

Lily nodded quickly, staring wide-eyed and the deranged man in front of him.

'Anyways, off to lunch with the both of you,' he said. 'Be back at two o'clock sharp, or I'll skin you alive.'

Although Lily knew he didn't mean it, she couldn't help but feel shaky at the same time. James looked at her and held back a snigger, before nodding to Moody and leaving the room. Not wanting to be left with Moody, Lily ran after him, calling his name in the corridor.

'Whaddup, Evans?' James said carelessly, turning around to see her cheeks were rose-tinged.

'P – James, I … don't really know my way around the Wizarding world that well,' she began cautiously, 'and I don't really know where to go for lunch, and the girls and I have different lunch times. I was kind of hoping –'

'Got it,' James cut in, resuming his trip to the elevator.

Lily followed, unsure. Why would James agree to have lunch with her? He hated her guts, yet he looked out for her.

When Lily voiced this, he said, 'I don't hate you, I hate what you say and do, and just because that's the case, I wouldn't want you to get lost or hurt yourself or something.'

Lily felt quite touched. She bit back a smile and stepped into the lift with him. They left the Ministry together, into the January cold.

'A – are you meeting up with anyone?' Lily asked.

'Nah. They're all in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.'

'You could Apparate there.'

'I only Apparate when I have to,' James said easily. 'I prefer brooms.'

Lily shuddered. 'I hate flying,' she muttered.

'I noticed,' James laughed slightly.

'You seem to notice a lot of things.'

_Only about you_, James wanted to say, but instead all he did was shrug.

'So … where're we going?' Lily asked, curious as to know where James was taking her.

'I know this _great_ place of walking distance,' James said. 'Great scenery, isolated and all.'

They walked through fields, across stepping stones, along petite pathways and through tiny woods in silence, until Lily stopped and sighed, leaning on a tree for support.

'James, I thought you said this place was in walking distance,' she groaned softly. 'My heels are absolutely _aching_.'

'We've been walking for fifteen minutes,' James said.

'We've been walking _fast_ for ten minutes,' Lily corrected.

James looked down, and realised she was wearing high heels. 'I wondered why you seemed taller,' he said mildly. 'Right, come on.'

He took off his backpack and turned his back on Lily.

'What?' Lily said. Then the penny dropped. 'I am _NOT_ going to let you give me a piggyback!'

'Then let's get walking,' said James simply.

'I can't walk any more,' Lily moaned.

'Piggyback it is,' James muttered.

'No!'

'Lily, you're such a girl.' James sighed.

'Oh, really?' she replied flatly.

James swung his bag back around his back and marched to Lily. Without pausing, he placed his left arm under her knees and his right arm under her neck. He quickly lifted her up and began walking, ignoring her kicks and squeals, which didn't make it any more easy.

'Evans, cut it out,' he said flatly, without looking at her. 'And put your arms around my neck and lift yourself up – you're gonna hurt yourself.'

'Not until _you_ _set me down on my feet!_' she screeched, kicking the air again.

It took Lily only two minutes to realise she wasn't going to get her way, so she obeyed; they had arrived at their destination within three.

James set Lily back on her feet so she could look at the petite cottage which strongly reminded her of James's place. It had these warm vibes which Lily felt, even though it was mid-January. The garden was filled with emerald green grass, with honeysuckle growing on the three sides of the garden which kept it separate from the fields. Craning her neck, Lily could see a little lake behind the cottage. She shuddered at the thought of touching that water.

James took her shudder to mean she was cold, and steered her inside. Lily felt instantly warm when she stepped on the 'Welcome' mat. The inside was almost as pretty as the outside, with ornaments and decorations neatly place here and there, the fireplace turned up high, Lily felt truly at home.

'Hey, Pat,' James said casually, waving his hand. 'Where's Maggie?'

Lily jumped; she hadn't noticed the elderly man on the peach sofa whittling away.

Pat's face cracked into a smile when he saw James; he looked at him as if James was his grandson.

'Upstairs,' Pat said warmly, although his voice came out slightly obscured underneath his thick, grey moustache. 'Doing her winter cleaning.'

Pat's eyes turned on Lily, who felt herself blush slightly, and stare at the floor.

'Again?' James said exasperatedly. 'I swear she overworks herself, that woman.'

'You know what she's like,' Pat smiled, turning his eyes back to James.

'Oh, Pat, this is my school friend –' James began.

'You need to say no more,' Pat smiled again, standing up and walking towards them, his feet shuffling on the wooden floorboards. He stopped in front of Lily and held out his hand, 'You can only be Lily Evans,' he said warmly.

Lily nervously took his wrinkled hand, which firmly enclosed hers.

'H – hi,' she said quietly.

'Pat,' came a woman's voice from upstairs, 'who are you talking to down there?'

'James has come to visit, Maggie,' Pat called back. 'And he's brought a friend.'

'James? Oh, I'm coming down!'

They heard loud clutters and a lot of thudding before they heard Maggie Bonham's footsteps on the stairs.

She eventually appeared at the foot of the stairs, standing at about five foot two with curly grey hair. She looked shock to see James. She quickly paced over to the boy and embraced him tightly. Lily saw James flash his teeth and could tell he was truly happy; this made her smile, although she couldn't explain to herself why.

'And who might this be?' Maggie said affectionately, looking at Lily.

'Ah, Mags, this is my friend from Hogwarts – Lily Evans,' said James, looking a tiny bit embarrassed.

'Pleasure to meet you, dear,' said Maggie fondly, hugging Lily, too.

'Pleasure's all mine,' Lily smiled.

James put his thumb up encouragingly behind Maggie's back.

When they broke apart, Maggie said, 'Long time no see, James. Been busy with Hogwarts?'

'Overly,' James said, sounding sincerely apologetic. 'I would've come over for Christmas, but we had guests to keep company, I'm sure you understand.'

'Of course I do, dear,' Maggie smiled. 'What are you doing here now? Shouldn't you be at school?'

'Work experience,' James said. 'It's lunch now.'

'Let me fix up something up,' Maggie smiled. 'Sit. Shan't be long.'

She left the dining room through this tiny doorway Lily guessed led to the kitchen.

'Where do you work, then?' Pat said, pulling out three wooden chairs manually.

'The Auror office,' James said happily, indicating that Lily should sit down as he and Pat had.

'That's much too dangerous, James!' Maggie said from the kitchen.

'It's okay, Mags,' James laughed. 'All we've done is throwing away files of dead people. Or should I say _supposedly_ dead people.'

James threw a suspicious stare at Pat.

'Is she trustworthy?' Pat said quietly.

'Of course,' James said. 'Why didn't you tell me? I always wondered why you picked this secluded cottage, separated from the rest of the world …'

'I'm sorry, James,' Pat said. 'You were young, I didn't know if I could trust you. I see now I could've trusted you not to tell my secret.'

'They think you're dead.' James couldn't help but laugh slightly. 'They know you're innocent, why not go back?'

'No,' Pat said. 'I was accused of killing a prisoner while I was locked up. I have no evidence that I didn't do it; I would have to serve a sentence for that. No, I like it here.'

'But it's so … quiet! You can't go out, do anything –'

'I'm fine here,' Pat smiled.

'But, Pat –'

Lily gasped, suddenly realising something. 'You're Patrick Bonham! You're the innocent man who was accused of –'

'Tact, Lily, tact,' James cut across swiftly. 'Never speak of it.'

'Oh, sorry,' she said genuinely.

'It's okay,' Pat smiled.

Maggie walked into the room again, holding plates of food. Lily and James jumped up immediately to help her.

'It's okay, dear,' said Maggie friendlily. 'You just sit down and eat up. Goodness knows you can do with some food.'

'How did you make so much so fast?' James asked, astounded.

'I had to warm it up in the little microwave,' Maggie said brightly. 'I imagine the food will taste fine, though. Eat up.'

'What's a microwave?' James asked.

'Erm …' Lily piped up.

'Yes, dear?' Maggie said.

'If you don't mind my asking … can you not do magic?'

'Of course, dear,' said Maggie, not sounding offended at all. 'It's just that the Ministry doesn't know we live here. If they detect magic here, that's our necks on the line.'

Lily felt sympathy for them. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to have magic which couldn't be used.

Lily and James headed back to work together, the latter telling Lily how he came to know Magda and Pat through his father helping Pat escape from Azkaban, and how the couple felt they were forever in debt to the Potters.

'So, yeah, we're quite –' James suddenly came to a halt, mid-sentence.

He stopped Lily from getting too close to Moody's office, door ajar. Instead, he quietly shuffled the contents of his backpack, and withdrew his Invisibility Cloak and covered himself and Lily with it.

'James, what –?'

He placed a hand over Lily's mouth to stop her talking too loud. They walked closer to Moody's office and saw a serious Dumbledore talking to an even more serious Moody.

'It must be someone from the inside,' Moody growled. 'Could be a teacher … a student … it could even be an owl. Can never be too careful, Albus. I say tighten the security of the students even more, keep a lookout for anyone who looks suspicious, patrol corridors …'

'The Head Boy and Girl already patrol corridors late night,' Dumbledore said softly. 'They see nothing worth reporting back.'

'It could even be them who're knocking off students,' Moody whispered.

'No,' said Dumbledore firmly. 'I refuse to believe Lily and James could seriously injure students. We have thoroughly investigated the staff, all reports are negative.'

'That leaves us with only one suspicion,' said Moody. 'The person injuring others can only be … a student. An unknown vampire student.'

Lily mirrored James's expression of horror, but both knew they had to accept it – if Moody said so, if Dumbledore didn't disagree, it had to be true. There was a vampire in the castle.

* * *

**A/N: *Hokey Cokey = a participation dance, normally done by people in English-speaking languages.**


	24. The Vampire Squad

- Chapter Twenty-four -

~ The Vampire Squad ~

'You'd think Moody would keep his office door shut when talking about things this serious,' said Sirius.

'Dumbledore was hovering near the door, kind of,' Lily said. 'I saw him look out once, but we were under the Cloak by then.'

'I swear he saw us, though,' James said, his voice deep with concern only Lily could hear.

They were now in the common room, and it was dark outside. Lily and James filled their closest, most trustworthy friends in on what they heard Moody and Dumbledore discussing, and it was then that the six – James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily and Vanessa – made a pact: to hunt this vampire down before any more harm fell upon the students. James and Sirius were highly sociable – they could know someone who knew a vampire-student; Vanessa was always in on the gossip, even though she barely used to spread it; Lily, Remus and Peter were more discreet and wary of other students – they could read about and possibly pick up vampire-like behaviour.

'That reminds me,' said Sirius, turning to Lily, 'old Red Lips was looking for you today.'

'Did he say why?' Lily asked casually, ignoring Sirius's nickname for her boyfriend.

'Yeah, said he wanted to lunch with you tomorrow,' he grunted, flicking his dark hair out of his eyes; some nearby girls sighed dreamily. 'Told you to Apparate to Rocky Mountain, be there at about one.'

'Okay,' Lily said, smiling sweetly – mostly because she didn't fail to notice James's upset look like everyone else had.

But that night in bed, her smile had gotten the better of her.

Before they all went to work the next day, Lily held back an inquisitive Sirius, splitting themselves from the rest of the group.

'What's up, Flower?' he asked in an almost solemn voice.

'Sirius, I need a favour,' she said in a hushed voice

'HA! I've been waiting for this day for a _long_ time,' he laughed.

Catching Lily's stern stare, he rushed on, 'Okay, what d'you want?'

Lily took a deep breath. 'I-want-you-to-find-a-girl-for-James,' she said in one breath.

'What kind? I know loads …'

'None your type,' Lily said, rolling her eyes.

'Hurtful,' Sirius joked. 'Well then, what type?

'His type.'

'I'm looking at a hopeful right now.'

Lily blushed, but hurried on anyway. 'Forget me, Sirius. I'm not into him. And I've already got someone. No, I'm talking about someone who'll look out for him, and love him for who he is.'

'We're talking _love_ here?' Sirius said, shocked. 'Sorry, Flower, no can do.'

'What? Why?' she asked, outraged.

'Maybe you haven't noticed, but I'm no Cupid.'

'You sure are when it comes to other people besides yourself,' Lily muttered.

'I'm different. I'm not looking for _love_.'

'Sirius, _please_! I just want him to be happy.'

'If you wanted that, you'd stay right away from him.' For the first time in living memory, Sirius was being purely solemn. Lily could here the steel in his voice.

'That's a tad bit hard, when, you know, _we work together._'

'Then ditch Downs and go out with him instead!'

'I can't do that,' Lily said flatly. 'I'm into Downs, not James. I mean Jason!'

'Whatever, Lils,' Sirius sighed. 'I'll give it a try.'

'Thanks, Sirius,' Lily beamed. She was almost happy enough to … no, she still wasn't happy enough to hug him; this was _Sirius Black_.

'Think of it as a one-off,' he said with narrowed eyes, before sloping off to catch up with his friends.

'What was that about?' James and Remus asked simultaneously.

'Nothing of importance,' Sirius shrugged.

*.*.*

Lily and James's day at work was quite fun. They still had a lot of file-sorting to do, but, somehow, James made it all seem ten times funnier. He told her of his and his friends' adventures in the night as animals.

'It'd be so cool if I could become an Animagi,' laughed Lily, when James proposed the idea. 'I could be a unicorn or something.'

'Well, why don't ya?' he asked seriously.

'I doubt I'd get permission,' Lily smiled.

James raised his eyebrows at her. She saw, and blushed.

'I just don't want to end up in Azkaban, James,' she said in as stern a voice as she could manage.

'You won't,' James reassured her. 'And even if you end up in Azkaban, you know I'll be there with you.'

Lily gasped and dropped the file she was holding, about some old wizard who thought it amusing to turn his colleagues permanently into wood-eating slime-balls.

'You mean you'd tell _everyone _you're an Animagus _just_ for me?'

James shuffled his feet. 'Er … I was kinda thinking about visiting you a lot …'

'_James_.'

'Haha, you know I'm kidding, Lils,' James laughed. He put a friendly arm around Lily and squeezed her, making her laugh, too.

All the smiles and laughs vanished when an hour before lunch came the unexpected: Moody told the two to grab their coats – they were going places.

'Somewhere fun, I trust?' James said.

'The best of the best,' Moody said happily. Lily had never heard him speak with content until then, and she didn't like it; he sounded fairly malicious.

'We're hunting Death Eaters,' he grinned.

That wasn't quite James's idea of fun, with Lily around and all. He threw her a concerned glance, which she didn't catch; she was too busy playing with her fingers, a sign, James knew, of her nervousness.

'Let's go,' Moody growled. 'You two hold onto me tight – where we're going, you won't know.'

'W – we're Apparating?' Lily asked.

'Well, of course,' Moody laughed harshly. 'How else? Broom?'

Lily laughed along nervously, taking Moody's arm as James had. The funny sensation in her stomach and ears still didn't appeal to her, so she was grateful when they had arrived where they were supposed to be, even though the place was dark and dingy, and smelled strongly of moss, making even Moody cough in disgust. The only ray of light came from a broken window, and shone near to where they were standing.

Lily and James instantly noticed they weren't the only ones in the room. Sixteen or so wands pointed in their direction as soon as they set foot in the room.

'Wands down,' Moody barked. 'It's only us.'

'You brought Lily and James?' a woman in the dark whispered. This whisper seemed all too familiar to Lily … as if she knew the person …

'They're here on work experience,' he said defensively, walking around the room, 'so they're gonna get experience.'

'But, Mad-Eye, they're too young,' the woman whispered, sounding shock. 'They could get killed –'

Lily was about to squeak, when James's hand quickly found her hand and gave it a tight, reassuring squeeze.

'Ain't nuffin' up 'ere, anyways,' grunted one man, whose silhouette looked shabby, even compared to what little of the room they could see. 'Checked the 'ole place left 'n' righ', we did.'

'Did you check up and down?' Moody said quietly.

Silence answered his question.

'Right, we split up,' he said harshly. 'I'll take the kids –' James snorted '– upstairs. Agatha, Ritchie, Abbott, Davis, Patricia and Arnold come with me. The rest of you follow Vance and look around on this floor and downstairs. Search carefully.'

Vance – Lily recognised that surname.

'And if we find a Death Eater?' a witch questioned.

Despite the darkness, Lily could see Moody grin. 'We'll be able to hear screams in this place. Let's go.'

Lily felt James's hand on hers once again, pulling her forwards.

'Stay behind me, got it?' he murmured in her ear, just about loud enough for her to hear.

'Why?' she whispered.

'_If_ we do find someone – and I'm not saying we will,' he adding comfortingly, 'they'll get me first, and give you time to run. I'll sort of be able to hold them off.'

'James, that's stupid,' Lily hissed somewhat vehemently. 'How about we walk _together_?'

'No,' he said in all seriousness. 'Your life's worth more than mine.'

Lily didn't bother arguing; she could tell she had already lost the battle, even though hundreds of arguments popped to mind.

James's hand stayed protectively around hers, preventing her from jumping with every creak of a floorboard or squeak of an unseen mouse.

Their number reduced slowly, with every floor they ascended, until only Agatha, James, Lily and Moody were left to search the top floor.

'Right, they're bound to be here,' Moody said quietly.

He and Agatha checked two of the rooms, leaving Lily and James in the corridor. They returned barely minutes later with no Death Eaters.

There was only one room left on the top floor. Moody slowly crept up to it, the others closely following him. Wand lit and at the ready, he flung the door open with a bang and leapt in.

They saw no one inside. They saw nothing at all. No windows, no light.

'Disappointment of disappointments,' Moody said bitterly, lowering his wand – which, strangely, gave no light as well.

BANG.

The door shut deafeningly loudly; Moody's wand was upright in less than a second.

'It's nothing, Mad-Eye,' Agatha said soothingly. 'Just the wind.'

'We can't see anything,' Mad-Eye retorted.

'Shame, that, isn't it?' came a mad cackle. 'I look good in the light.'

It was a witch's voice. And it didn't belong to Agatha or Lily.

'_Stupefy_,' Mad-Eye roared, directing his spell in a random direction.

They didn't see the red ray of light they expected.

'_Petrificus Totalus_,' screamed the witch.

Moody's roar was followed by a loud _thud_. It was beginning to unnerve Lily, how they were unable to see, yet could be seen.

'Who _are_ you?' Lily said. Although her voice quivered slightly, she still sounded angry.

'Aww, Mad-Eye's brought little friendlings,' the witch laughed. 'Oh, the Dark Lord is truly going to be pleased, isn't he, Rodolphus? We've caught two Aurors and ickle trainees.'

'We're not trainees, we're students,' James said in a strong voice, slowly wrapping an arm around Lily.

'Oh,' the voice said, sounding saddened. 'We can kill you here and now, then. Wait, I remember you; your family poisoned my cousin's big brother's mind. Well. That just takes us back to – _Avada kedav_ –'

James pulled Lily down with him to the floor in a rush; although he couldn't see the spell, he felt something hot pass his ear.

'Are you two okay?' Agatha said worriedly, stumbling around in the darkness.

'Yes,' Lily said painfully.

'Cowardice,' James said, with contempt. 'Fight proper. Let us see, too.'

The woman huffed. 'Fine,' she said. 'Bratty kids.'

The next thing they knew, they were surrounded in fading black powder, but they could see the room, the light: the cloaked figures. There had to be about ten of them – ten of them against three.

'James?' Lily said fearfully. 'What now?'

'Stay back,' James said quietly. 'Leave this to me and Agatha. You go help Mad-Eye.'

Without another word, he yelled, '_Stupefy_!' The stunning spell caught everyone's eye as it bounced off three walls before knocking one man into the one behind him.

Agatha took their diverted attention to her advantage; she Stunned two figures either side of the woman who had been speaking before.

Despite the sudden eruption of spells, James couldn't help but notice how beautiful this woman was. Her long, thick, silky black hair hung a little less than halfway down her tall figure, which complemented her dark, heavy-lidded eyes. Her lips had thinned even more than they naturally were out of anger. She looked extremely familiar to Lily.

Lily raised her wand and bent over Mad-Eye before chanting, '_Finite,_' accidentally dodging a curse along the way.

Mad-Eye jumped up almost immediately, prepared for action. His first act was to pull Lily out of the way of a curse; his second was to Stun the wizard who attempted to curse her.

'Lily, stay _out of the way_,' James said, thick in the action.

He really _was_ a good fighter, firing a jinx here, dodging a curse there. But Lily wanted to be in the action, too. The only person she had ever properly fought against using magic was James.

Lily pulled herself back on her feet. She quickly scanned the room, and saw lots of hooded figures lying as if dead on the floor. But they were still outnumbered.

'_Flipendo_!' she shouted, knocking backwards a Death Eater who was advancing on James.

He hit the wall behind him and slid to the floor, blood oozing out of the back of his head.

'Nice one, Lils,' James shouted over all the noise.

They were finally evenly numbered. There was the beautiful woman, her companion and two minions.

'Give in, Black,' Moody growled to the woman.

'Black?' Lily repeated softly. 'Could she be –?'

'Irrelevant now,' James snapped; he got this from Sirius, who never liked talking about his cousin or any of his family if he could help it.

Bellatrix gave another mad laugh. 'That's Lestrange now,' she said, twinkling the fingers on her left hand in front of Moody's face. 'And what makes you think we'll give in? You people will never find the Dark Lord's hideout; too slow, that's what you all are.'

The two minions Disapparated just as Bellatrix spun on one foot with the grace of a ballerina, twirling her wand as well. She stopped, catching Lily's would-be confident expression.

'Pretty one, you are,' said Bellatrix. 'Pity, really.'

She and her companion then Disapparated, leaving the four to realise what she had meant by it; great slashes appeared where Bellatrix's wand had been pointing to.

Lily keeled over in pain, falling to the floor. Through her watery eyes, she could see Agatha do the same. She could hear James's roar of pain. She felt blackness overcome her.

She knew no more.

*.*.*

'Nightmare,' someone huffed. 'It's a nightmare! How can you send kids to the Auror office? Of course they're going to get hurt!'

'They signed up for it, Madam Pomfrey,' said Vanessa gloomily.

'Actually, Lily didn't,' said James. 'I did.'

Vanessa sighed. 'We're beginning to spend more time _in_ the Hospital Wing than out.'

'Has Downs come to visit yet?' James asked Vanessa.

'No,' she replied. 'I don't think he's bothered. I think he's still mad at her for missing lunch with him.'

'If Lily asks, he did,' said James quietly. 'And he didn't want to go, but Madam Pomfrey made him, because he was causing a scene.'

Vanessa hesitated before saying, 'Okay.'

Lily stirred. She tried to move, but it was like a force was weighing her down. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move. She tried un-stiffening one arm, and then the other. Then came the hardest part: her eyelids. She opened them slowly, taking in the dim light. She could now see James and Vanessa either side of her bed. Lily didn't like this, she didn't like feeling vulnerable. She tried sitting up, but only pain greeted her.

'Don't do that,' snapped Madam Pomfrey. 'You've injured your abdomen quite severely; it'll take a few more hours to heel.'

'This is stupid,' Lily muttered. 'I feel fine!' she called after the retreating figure of the matron.

'Hence the constant wincing,' said Vanessa, pushing Lily gently back down.

'What happened, anyway?' Lily mumbled. 'That woman – Sirius's cousin –'

'He's not her cousin,' James said immediately. 'Not according to them, anyway. Lestrange attacked us and then Disapparated with the other Death Eater. You and Agatha had it worse, because you were facing her. I was looking at her side on. Moody deflected the curse, so it didn't get him.'

'How is Agatha?' Lily said concernedly.

'Last I heard, she was in St Mungo's,' said James gloomily. 'No permanent damages though, and the same applies to you.'

'Where's Jason?' Lily asked immediately, sitting up again.

'Not here,' Vanessa said.

'He _was_ here though, wasn't he?' Lily asked, trying to recall what she thought she had heard – or dreamt – before. She didn't miss Vanessa's glance in James's direction before she answered.

'He was. He didn't want to leave, but Madam Pomfrey made him, because he was causing a scene. You know, asking why she couldn't fix you up straight away. He got mad …'

'So Madam Pomfrey made him leave,' James added in a convincingly happy tone.

Lily wouldn't have swallowed this story, had Madam Pomfrey not bustled back at that very moment and said, 'Yes, quite a racket that boy caused; most displeasing – especially in a Hospital Wing! What nerve.'

Lily smiled at her thoughts, completely missing James mouthing, 'Thank you', to the matron.

'When can I go?' Lily asked imploringly.

'I'm afraid you're going to have to stay the night, Miss Evans,' Madam Pomfrey said, busying herself with a potion of some sort.

'_Stay_?' Lily, James and Vanessa repeated, their voices echoing.

'Mm-hm,' Madam Pomfrey said, handing a steaming goblet to Lily. 'Drink this; it'll ease your pain.'

'What do _you_ care, James?' Vanessa asked slyly, her grin mischievous.

Trying not to smile caused Lily to slop some of the potion on her bedcovers; now James _and_ Lily looked embarrassed.

'I'll have no one to bug at work tomorrow,' James said quickly.

'Thank Merlin,' Lily said weakly, as Vanessa thumped her back.

*.*.*

That very night, James felt quite empty, and, even though he laughed at Sirius's latest prank and suggested his fair share of ideas, his best friend could tell his heart wasn't in it.

'What's up, Prongs?' Sirius said easily. 'I haven't seen you so out of it since … well, since last summer, actually …'

'It's nothing, mate,' James shrugged, grinning.

'It's a babe, isn't it?' Sirius said. 'Ah, how we men fall like marionettes for women,' Sirius said dramatically.

James laughed. 'Padfoot, what would you know? You have witches falling like marionettes for you all the time.'

Sirius gasped, looking offended. 'I can fall for a witch!'

'Bet on it?' James said, raising an eyebrow; Sirius became unsure.

'Er … well … I'm a bit short of Galleons at the moment, you know –'

'So Sickles it is!' said James cheerfully, shaking Sirius's hand.

'On one condition,' said Sirius shrewdly with narrowed eyes. Whatever he was planning, James was sure he wasn't going to like it: 'You've got to get with Flower by the end of the school year.'

James swallowed. 'On one condition: if – and only if – she breaks up with Jason, instead of him breaking up with her … or you getting in between, which you could do, now I come to think about it.'

'Deal,' Sirius grinned.

It wasn't this new bet that made James go to bed with a smile on that night. No, instead it was this:

_Tuesday 11__th__ October 1977_

_Dear Diary,_

_It's technically Wednesday morning, but I'm going to write about Tuesday. It was really peaceful, but in the horrible kind of way._

_We finally had Aaliyah's funeral. I couldn't stand it, although I put on a brave face. Aaliyah's father had to be the worst: he looked like he was going to be permanently shocked. I don't blame him; poor man's lost all his family now._

_I tried giving a strong Aaliyah-approved speech. It was me, and me alone, although James's support really did help. Yes – _James's _support. I've never known him to be such a comfort, but he's really come through for me, and I absolutely adore him for it. I can't believe I had ever thought of him as being an arrogant, conceited, insensitive prat. He's been there for me through this as much as Vanessa has, although I can't blame the poor girl._

_I think – I _think_ – I might actually have feelings for him in _more_ than the 'just friends' way. I think I may have been feeling them for a while now. He's becoming to be the man of my dreams: sweet, funny, somewhat mature, fairly good-looking … wow. Plus, he broke up with his girlfriend, Ashley Campbell, today – not being single's always a bonus._

_I accidentally told James I love him tonight, when we went out for a stroll. He thought I was kidding around, and I had just realised I wasn't. He probably doesn't want a new girlfriend, anyway, and I doubt he's interested in me any more._

_We'll just have to wait and see, I guess._

_Lots of love,_

_Lily_

She liked him after all.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, the "marionette" was a reference to DH.**


	25. Missing

_**A/N: This one's for Lily, who the Lily in this story was and will remain based upon; the Lily in LittleRedLily. (This doesn't, however, mean we'll kill off Lily Evans, just to make that clear :P)  
The good go young. Happy sleep, Lils.**_

_**18.01.95 - 03.02.11**_

* * *

- Chapter Twenty-five -

~ Missing ~

The next day at work was very boring for James; Moody had given him twice as much work, because Lily wasn't in. He planned on going to Hogwarts for lunch to see Lily, but Madam Pomfrey said she had discharged Lily an hour ago so she could go to work.

_That's odd_, James thought to himself, as he left the Hospital Wing. _I definitely didn't see Lily at work. Something's not right …_

James searched Gryffindor common room for Lily, and even asked some first-years to check the girls' dormitories. Nothing.

He spent the rest of his lunch in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, asking any of his fellow students if Lily had been there: still nothing. After deep consolation from Remus, James went back to work and got along with all of Moody's tasks, even though Lily stayed at the back of his mind, in the pit of his worries. What if the school vampire had gotten to her?

Eventually, James got to Hogwarts at the beginning of dinner, where he hoped to see Lily laughing along with her friends. He saw Vanessa, and he saw Alice and Cassie, but still he saw no Lily.

'Sirius,' James hissed to his best friend, 'she's still not here.'

'Oh, yeah, I think I saw her,' Sirius said, his mouth full of what? James didn't want to know.

'Where?' he said quickly. 'She's okay, isn't she?'

'I wouldn't say she was,' Sirius shrugged.

James's heartbeat quickened. 'What's happened to her?'

'She's been having some quality time with Downs,' Sirius said distastefully.

Relief, sweet relief, made its way through James instantly. 'Sirius,' he said weakly, 'you had me for a minute.'

'You don't think spending time with Downs is bad?' Sirius looked horrified.

'Well, she's safe,' James laughed, before piling some mashed potatoes on his plate.

His happiness was short-lived, however; as soon as the Marauders reached their common room, they were greeted by a certain cuddling couple – Sirius's least favourite couple in the world.

''Sup, Flower?' Sirius said loudly on purpose. He could see James was struggling to hide the disgust on his face.

'Hey, Sirius,' Lily smiled back, before turning back to Jason.

'Are we allowed non-Gryffindors in here?' Sirius called.

Lily stood up instantly and blushed. 'I didn't invite him here,' she said quickly. 'In fact, he was just leaving.'

'With the love of his life,' Jason added, making Lily giggle.

Sirius mimed vomiting; Peter giggled.

'Oh, get lost, Sirius,' Lily laughed, brushing past him on her way out of the common room.

'Hey, Lils,' James said suddenly. 'How come you didn't turn up at work?'

'Jason had,' Lily paused, grinning in an unLily-like way, 'other plans.'

The two then rushed out, Jason with an evil grin.

'Evans blew off work? To be with him?' Sirius questioned, confused. '_Evans_?'

'Are you okay, James?' Remus asked quietly.

James's face displayed would-be suppressed anger. His eyes were now slits, and his lips were white. 'Yeah, I just … feel like punching something …'

Peter instantly stepped back.

'No worries, Wormy,' James laughed, putting his arm around the boy's shoulder.

'Who needs her, anyway?' Sirius said cheerfully, walking over to a table. 'There're plenty of chicks in this castle.'

'Yeah …' James said absently, following him.

'Have any of you done McGonagall's essay on Animagi?' Peter squeaked. 'I've attempted it, but I got a bit stuck …'

'Really, Wormy?' Sirius barked. 'You _are_ an Animagus! We've spent the last five years or something studying Animagi – how can you _not_ get it?'

Peter's face blushed as he shuffled his feet guiltily.

'Ah, we can help you out, Pete,' James said kindly.

They spent the rest of the night helping Peter out with his essay without giving him any sentences to put in – Sirius said Lily was rubbing off on James. He cracked several other jokes that night, but James's mind was focused on Lily. Torchlights had gone out and all but the Marauders had gone to their dormitories – but still no sign of Lily. It wasn't like her to break curfew, and she didn't have to patrol corridors tonight. Where was she?

Just then, a laugh chimed from the portrait hole, as Sirius's least favourite couple in the world stepped back in again.

Sirius immediately stood up and claimed he was sleepy; Peter and Remus were quick to leave with him.

'Coming, mate?' he said to James before he took off.

'Nah, need some air,' he replied. Without a second glance at the happy couple, he left.

James snuck out of the castle without being spotted, and took up stag form. He wondered about the Forbidden Forest, feeling quite alone despite the owls hooting, and what he thought were centaurs talking about constellations and revelations. He avoided the centaurs. He wasn't in the mood to chat.

Half of him hoped Lily would notice he was missing, just as he had noticed her absence. But he knew she was probably too cosy with Downs to care.

Too cosy … with Downs.

It felt like a long time before James headed back to Gryffindor tower, where he was fearful of what he might see.

But, to his delight, there was only Lily, curled up comfortably on the couch in front of the dim fireplace, making her face glow slightly. A blanket James assumed she had been using was now on the floor. He quietly paced over to her and wrapped the blanket around her still figure. If he couldn't hear her gentle breathing, he'd have thought she wasn't breathing at all.

He softly pecked her on the forehead before making his way to the boys' dormitories, thinking – or wishing – he heard Lily stir.

*.*.*

'Ain't he woken up yet?'

'No.'

'And you've tried the water?'

'Yes, Sirius, I've sprinkled some water on him. He still hasn't awoken.'

'Sprinkles? Well, they're no good.'

_SPLASH!_

James sat up abruptly, drenched in ice-cold water. The curtains on his four-poster bed were drawn back, letting bright light in.

'That did the trick,' Sirius said cheerfully.

'What was that for?' James said disbelievingly, shaking his head wildly, practically soaking everyone in the vicinity.

'You weren't waking up,' said Sirius innocently.

'So?'

'We've got news,' Remus said quickly, before Sirius could go on. 'There's been another attack.'

James's stomach dropped instantly. He was reluctant to ask the next question: 'Who?'

Sirius put on his most solemn face as he said, '… Evans.'

James felt his heart skip a beat, as his stomach plummeted further down. How could this be? She was just fine early this morning. There was no way she could've suddenly –

'Aha, I joke with you, mate,' Sirius said, flashing his teeth. 'Okay, I know I shouldn't have, but it was an irresistible opportunity. I mean – your face!'

The next thing he knew, he was being bombarded by pillows.

'That was _not_ funny!' James said hotly. 'So – no one's been attacked?'

'There was an attack, actually,' Remus said seriously. 'You're not going to believe this.

'Peter's been attacked; in this very dormitory, as well.'

*.*.*

James didn't care that he was going to be late for work. Nor did he care that he was going to be missing quality Lily time. He had to find Dumbledore; he had to know that Peter was going to be all right. Such was his thirst for knowledge that he even ignored Lily on his way out of the common room. She had, no doubt, heard, but any consolation she had to offer would be of no help whatsoever.

James went straight to Dumbledore's office, but he wasn't there. He went down to the Great Hall, which was only scattered with the very few people who had woken up late. Dumbledore wasn't there, either. Lessons had already begun, but maybe McGonagall could spare five minutes – five minutes for a friend in desperation.

'We have transferred him to St Mungo's, and he presently lays alongside Miss Watson,' said Professor McGonagall, not at all miffed that James had dragged her out of class. 'He is in the same condition as Miss Watson. We hope to get to the bottom of this.'

Her face displayed weariness. 'I do hope no more attacks happen. I wonder what'll come of this great castle …'

She sighed before telling James to get to work or she'll have to be less lenient. James relented, although the only place he wanted to be was with Peter. Nonetheless, he appeared at work, bright-eyed, within an hour. Moody grunted to his apology for being late, and set him to more file-sorting with Lily, who James noticed seemed somewhat afraid to strike up a conversation, although she smiled warmly when he entered the room.

'Sorry I left you alone with him,' James said in an undertone.

'It's okay,' Lily smiled quickly.

'Your face shows it,' James said, laughing slightly.

Lily said nothing more. Her silence was beginning to get to James. He began thinking wildly of ways to start a conversation. Just as a million things came to him, Lily spoke.

'I tried talking to you this morning,' she said mildly.

'Sorry about that,' he grinned, looking somewhat ashamed. 'I was in such a rush to find Dumbledore.'

'I was going to tell you he wasn't in,' she said softly, keeping her eyes on the file she had in her hands, as if concentrating on it. 'I'd already been to see him – no luck. Rumour has it he's been trying to find out more about Voldemort's whereabouts.'

'Ah. Right … well, thanks for the thought. And I really am sorry about before.'

'No, no, it's fine …'

Her tone suggested otherwise. Why couldn't girls be more outright about their feelings?

'What's on your mind, then?'

'The vampire,' Lily said, looking directly into James's eyes.

For a moment, he was entranced. Had her eyes always been that green?

He shook his head, as if waking up, and said, 'What about it?'

'Well … it has to be someone in Gryffindor, doesn't it? No one else can get in the tower, unless they know the password – and only Gryffindors know the password. But I honestly can't think of one of us who would _attack_ another. And it doesn't make sense: why go for Sarah and Peter? They've got to be the meekest students in our house.'

Before James could even think of an answer, Moody barked his name.

'Potter! Professor Dumbledore here to see you.'

Sure, now he gets to meet the Head. James couldn't explain to himself why it was difficult to hide his irritation.

Moody left the room then, and Lily made to follow.

'Wait there, Miss Evans,' said Dumbledore. 'I need to speak to you as well.'

Lily closed the door, and, as Dumbledore took Moody's seat and Lily and James took theirs, she felt as though she was back in the Headmaster's office.

'Mr Potter, I must ask you a few questions.'

Lily heard James swallow before nodding.

'First of all, were you awake at the time of the accident?'

'No, sir,' said James seriously.

'Where had you been?'

What was that supposed to mean?

'I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand your question.'

'According to your friends' statements, you weren't with them when they went to their beds so late at night. Where were you?'

'I was in the common room,' James lied.

'So you may have seen the attacker enter Gryffindor common room and head to the dormitories?' said Dumbledore shrewdly.

'Uh … I had fallen asleep,' James said quickly. 'I fell asleep in front of the fireplace.'

'But I heard Miss Evans was found asleep in front of the fireplace this morning.'

_Think fast, James_, he said to himself.

'Yeah, Lily was on the couch; I was on the floor.'

'What were the two of you doing there, may I ask? It seems somewhat unusual of you to be there.'

'Lily was, er, stuck on some Arithmancy homework we were set a while ago,' said James quickly. 'I was trying to help her get it done, but I fell asleep during the process.'

'James, you silly, forgetful boy,' Lily said with a warm smile, 'you must be talking about our Transfiguration essay on Animagi – I didn't take Arithmancy, remember?'

'Oh, yeah! That's the one. My bad.'

'I see,' said Dumbledore sceptically. He peered at James and then at Lily from above his half-moon spectacles. James hated those stares – it made him feel as though Dumbledore could literally see straight through him with those piercing, blue eyes. 'And neither of you know of a student in another house who knows the password to enter Gryffindor tower or has entered within the past twenty-four hours?'

Here they paused. James was tempted to turn and look at Lily to see what she wanted him to say, but he knew that would give it away.

Instead, he felt her touch under the table; she had found his hand, and was playing with his fingers, as if she was nervous.

'No, sir. I can't recall anyone not in Gryffindor entering the tower.'

Silence fell upon them for a few minutes. It was an awkward one; Dumbledore surveyed the two up and down.

'Erm … Professor?' said James quietly. 'Not meaning to be rude, but we, er, kind of have work to get back to …'

'Ah, yes, of course you do,' Dumbledore said, suddenly brightening up. 'I shall have to leave you to it. Enjoy your day.'

'Yes, sir,' said James, nodding his head.

Lily and James watched Dumbledore leave the room, and made sure the sound of his footsteps faded away before breathing out in relief.

'James, thank you _so_ much,' Lily said fervently, before embracing him.

It was a while before James remembered he was supposed to put his arms around her, too – he was just so taken by surprise. Did she always smell this nice? He didn't realise how much he missed her sweet, floral scent.

Okay, so this counted as torturing him, Lily thought to herself. But she couldn't help it. She preferred Jason over James … but she still had a soft spot for the latter. She didn't see it as being in love with two boys at once: Jason she saw as a boyfriend, James as a brother.

Right?

*.*.*

The rest of the working day passed in laughter and parchment cuts, all of which James was skilled enough to heal.

So, all in all, it was a fairly okay day. Peter had gotten bitten, but he would be all right. The Gryffindors, first- and second-years especially, were scared out of their wits, but they would recover. So, it was a good day – until Sirius had to go and ruin it. As soon as Lily and James had re-entered Gryffindor common room, Sirius sought an argument.

'Evans!' he called angrily.

'… Yes?' Lily replied, walking over to him a little confused.

'What d'you think you're playing at?'

"Care to tell me?" was Lily's initial response, but she bit it back, sensing that now wasn't the time to be witty. Instead, she pulled a confused face.

'Inviting Downs into the common room!' he blasted, shooting his arms in the air.

'He invited himself, if you must know!' Lily said, finding it difficult to keep her tone down. 'He jumped out behind me as I was coming in. What was I supposed to say?'

'Something along the lines of "Get lost", like you would with anyone other non-Gryffindor,' said Sirius bitterly.

'That's _not_ something I'd say. You've just always had it in for Jason. I'll never understand why. It's not like he hurt anyone here; it's not like he _killed_ anyone!'

'He's the vampire!'

'Sirius,' said Remus in a low voice, 'we don't know that. It's just a suspicion, remember. We've got no proof, whatsoever.'

His words of wisdom were ignored altogether.

'He's _not_ the vampire,' said Lily hotly. 'Just because there was an attack the same night he entered Gryffindor tower, that does _not_ mean that he's the vampire!'

'How much of your blood has he sucked exactly?' Sirius inquired lightly. 'Have you completely lost it? He _is_ the vampire, and he's killing off my mates.'

'If – _if_ – Jason was the vampire, and I'm not saying he is –'

'– he probably wouldn't tell you if he was –'

'– why would he go for little Sarah and Peter, anyway?' Lily retorted angrily, ignoring his interruption. 'He holds no grudge against either of them.'

'He probably knows that those two are close to us! He's trying to get us all down one by one.'

'That is without a doubt the most _ridiculous_ thing I have ever heard! We all know that Jason _isn't_ the vampire. You don't believe this as well, do you, James? James?'

So it was time to choose – best friends or unrequited love … well, completely failed romance.

'I'm sorry, Lily,' he said. 'I don't know what to believe any more.'

He turned her back to her, not wanting to witness her pained expression, the look of being betrayed in her eyes; picturing it was bad enough. Ignoring the other pairs of eyes on him, James headed straight for the boys' dormitories, although he didn't feel any better then; Peter's absence felt quite haunting.

And then there were the constant thoughts of Lily … Lily.

* * *

Thursday 19th January 1978


	26. Never

- Chapter Twenty-six -

~ Never ~

Lily completely ignored James at work the next day. Well, as much as she possibly could in Moody's rather small and dingy office. It didn't help that Moody had given them a proper assignment: to get to the bottom of the vampire mystery at Hogwarts. Lily tried dissuading Moody, telling him they were too young to be meddling in such enigmas, but he roared with laughter and handed over a quill, a bottle of ink and some parchment for her and James to write down musings and left the room.

Breathing in the awkwardness in the air every second, Lily sat in the chair next to James by Moody's desk.

James silently took the parchment and quill and scrawled, 'Suspects'. He then wrote down 'Jason Downs'.

Lily snatched the quill, fuming, and underlined the word _Suspects_ so hard she made a hole in the parchment.

'Easy, Lils,' James said quietly. 'I was just saying … or writing.'

'Don't call me Lils,' she replied, 'only my closest friends call me that.'

James sighed. 'Lily, you're being ridiculous.' He had, however, expected this.

Lily merely wrote another name underneath Jason's.

_James Potter_.

'What?' James spluttered. 'How can _I _be a suspect?'

'If Jason is, then anyone can be.'

'I would attack my best friend? What kind of a friend would I be?'

'I asked myself that last night – when you didn't stick up for me when I needed you most.'

'Lily, I'm sorry,' James said, almost pleadingly. 'I was just saying what I thought and I didn't think –'

'Listen up, James,' Lily cut in. 'I appreciate honesty more than anyone, but that was wrong on a whole new level. How could you think that a) Jason's the vampire and b) that I'd support him if he were?'

'Everyone makes mistakes – you might not know he _is_ the vampire. Look at it, Lils – Lily – he comes in _our_ common room, Peter gets attacked the next day. It only makes sense.'

'I trust Jason,' she said simply.

'You trust a lot of people.'

'You're all biased.'

'Why? He's a Ravenclaw; he's supposed to be safe. It's only the Slytherins we have strong opinions about.'

'He's my boyfriend,' Lily said harshly.

'And that makes a difference to our lives how …?'

'You've never liked him!'

'I can be objective.'

Lily snorted. 'Yeah … about as much as a potato can be.'

'Hey, don't start on potatoes. What did they do to you?'

Lily almost smiled – almost.

'Surely the ministry should be keeping tabs on vampires around here …'

'Things slip,' James shrugged.

'Let's just do some background research on Jason,' Lily said, getting up to find Moody and ask him if the Ministry had any files about students attending Hogwarts.

'You don't already know about Downs's background?'

'He's a bit secretive about his past,' Lily shrugged, as if this was normal.

'And you've never wondered why?'

'Well, some people are naturally reserved. I wouldn't change that about him. He's not like _some_ guys who can't stop going on about themselves.'

'People keep themselves to themselves if they have things to hide, Lily! He could be the vampire!' James ignored Lily's last statement.

She stared at him plainly.

'Trust me,' James went on, 'before we figured out that Remus was a – had a furry little problem, he was all secretive.'

Lily ignored him.

'Lily,' James said, his voice deep and his tone full of seriousness, 'I'm telling you as a friend (maybe one you're not particularly fond of any more) – stay away from Jason. He's bad news, even if – _if_ – he's not the vampire we're looking for.'

Lily smiled sweetly and said, 'Thanks, James, but I think I can take care of myself,' before leaving the room, closing the door with a loud _bang_.

*.*.*

Vanessa was looking around the cages of all the animals a last time. She enjoyed working at the Magical Menagerie, enjoyed playing with all the animals. She didn't want to leave them just yet – she had gotten particularly fond of this kitten called Marshmallow, because it was white and podgy. In fact, she was playing with Marshmallow now, stroking him as he purred. Vanessa knew she was going to be back for another week in February and another in March, but she was going to miss all the animals every week in between. The only bit about work experience Vanessa didn't like had to be –

'Nessy-poo!' came a loud voice, as a door snapped shut.

Vanessa groaned.

'Sirius, you do _not_ under _any_ circumstances call me Nessy-poo,' Vanessa said flatly as Sirius approached her.

'What about if it were to somehow save your life?' he enquired, perching himself on top of the counter, swinging his legs casually.

Vanessa considered what he said. 'Possibly,' she said lightly, 'but still –'

'What about if it were to somehow save _my_ life?'

'Probably not, but –'

'Don't be mean,' said Sirius sulkily. 'You shouldn't be mean to customers. We're awesome. We're the reason this place still runs.'

'Sirius … you've never bought anything from here. Ever.'

'Oh, yeah?' he said, looking around quickly. He picked up a grumpy Marshmallow. 'I wanna buy this cat.'

'Really?' Vanessa asked flatly. 'He costs quite a bit.'

'I don't care, I don't want him.'

'But – you just said … you make no sense!'

'I want to buy him.'

'Then give me the Galleons! You need to pay for the cat basket, as well. Oh, and some starter food a litter tray and the rest of it …'

Sirius extracted the money from his pocket and gave it to Vanessa who, in turn, gave him a few Sickles and a Knut.

'… Erm, what do I do with this thing?' Sirius asked.

'Take good care of him,' said Vanessa warmly, smiling at the cat. 'I love this little kitty.'

'Then you have him,' Sirius said easily.

'I don't have the money to pay you back,' Vanessa smirked, thinking Sirius was joking.

'It's on me,' Sirius said casually.

'I can't take it free!'

'Why not? You're not the one paying.'

'That's the point, Sirius.'

'Think of it as getting paid for all the moments of sweet entertainment you've given me this week.'

Vanessa smiled grimly. She knew he was referring to the time Vanessa was trying to clean out an owl's cage and Sirius burst into the shop; the owl got frightened and made a mess on Vanessa.

'I couldn't let you pay for me,' Vanessa said, shaking her head.

'Why not? You let me pay a bit when …' Sirius swallowed. The memories of their old relationship got to him almost as much as they did her. 'I can't return this cat. I'll have to set it free.'

'No! Not Marshmallow!' Vanessa said quickly, taking the cat in her arms. 'I'll take him and pay you back when I get the money. Deal?'

'Fair enough,' Sirius grinned.

'Good,' Vanessa smiled, trying to sound grateful. 'How come you got off early?'

'Got into a fight with a customer,' Sirius said casually.

'About what this time?'

'Hey, don't take that tone with me – it wasn't my fault, I swear!' Sirius said defensively.

'Sure, sure.'

'It _wasn't_! He's too huge a fan for the Chudley Cannons for my liking …'

'Uh-huh. So it _wasn't_ your fault …'

'Shurrup, Nessa,' Sirius smiled.

'Vanessa,' came a voice from the back room. 'It's time to go.'

'Finally,' Sirius grinned. 'C'mon, let's go.'

'I'll just get my stuff,' Vanessa said. 'Won't be long.'

She popped into the back room, leaving Marshmallow and Sirius to get acquainted, which they did only too well; Marshmallow fell asleep in Sirius's lap, and he stroked him, thinking random thoughts.

'Back,' Vanessa said. All she had on top of her work clothes was a thin cardigan and a scarf tied around her neck.

'No coat?' Sirius said disapprovingly. _I should offer her mine, but she'll never take it …_

'No,' Vanessa smiled quickly. 'Cassie was a bit stubborn to get out of bed this morning, resulting in me running late. I couldn't find my coat, so I had to leave without.' _Offer me yours, already …_

'Well, let's go,' Sirius said. He gently put Marshmallow inside his new basket and took it by the arm.

They first went to Flourish and Blotts, and then to Eeylops Owl Emporium to recruit Remus and Alice respectively, before they Apparated to Hogsmeade to meet Cassie in the Three Broomsticks for some Butterbeer. It felt weird, meeting up without Peter, who would have been working in Zonko's Joke Shop if he weren't lying, as if dead, in St Mungo's.

The Butterbeer really warmed Vanessa up. Remus noticed this as Vanessa shivered with pleasure when she had half her drink at once.

'Vanessa, why don't you have a coat on? It's mid-January, it's freezing.'

He shrugged off his own as he was speaking.

'Was in a hurry as I left today,' Vanessa said, her teeth slowly returning to normal non-chattering state.

She accepted Remus's coat gratefully, just as Sirius thought, _Dang. Missed my chance._

When Alice finished her Butterbeer, they proceeded to walking back to Hogwarts in two groups; Alice was in the lead with Remus and Cassie, telling the two animatedly about a funny customer she had had that day who was looking for dragon eyes in the owl emporium. Sirius and Vanessa trailed behind slightly, walking in silence.

At one point, Vanessa shivered. Wordlessly, Sirius put his arm around Vanessa and held her close – the arm that wasn't holding onto Marshmallow's basket. Was Sirius running a temperature? It was impossible for someone to be so warm in surroundings so cold. Nevertheless, she hugged him back, thankful for the warmth, and together, they walked all the way back to Hogwarts, unknowingly sharing the same thought: _what in the name of Merlin's beard were they doing?_

*.*.*

James was glad work experience was over for a few weeks. Although he knew he'd miss being alone with Lily, he loathed being late for his own Quidditch practices. Gryffindor's match against Ravenclaw was drawing nearer, and so far, most of the Gryffindor team had been unable to adjust to the brutally cold and wet weather conditions. Thankfully, there was no more snow, but it was hard to play when frozen stiff to broomsticks; winter's darkness didn't help either.

Sirius would faithfully watch practices in the stands, sometimes accompanied by Remus, Vanessa and Alice, and, on very few occasions, Lily. Cassie wanted nothing to do with 'the lame excuse for a sport'.

Lily was mostly busy with school work; the exams were drawing nearer, and Lily felt the pressure to do well more than anyone else. She would be the last one to go to sleep at night, and the first to awake in the morning, before the sun was even up.

Her routine was no different on the 30th January, a Monday. She already had a lot of work done before the others got up and wished her a happy birthday.

'Here,' Vanessa yawned, passing Lily a rectangular box. 'Happy eighteenth, Lils.' She then hugged her best friend.

Lily read the tag on the box. It read:

_Lils,_

_Me and Liyah had our eyes on this for a while. We both saw it at the same time and both wanted to get it for you. I know she wishes she could've given this to you herself. Enjoy your day, anyway. And _stop_ overworking yourself! Yeesh. I'm feeling really sorry for that poor brain of yours. Just relax today – you deserve it._

_Love,_

_V_

Lily unwrapped and opened the box to find a pretty, sparkly, green silky dress with spindly straps. Lily couldn't help but gasp.

'Wow,' she said. 'Thanks, Nessa!'

The two girls hugged again.

Cassie and Alice had gotten her matching accessories; shoes, bracelets, rings, earrings and more.

She eyed the pile of presents at the foot of her bed, but was conscious of the time. 'Come on, we have to get to Transfiguration after breakfast.'

'I have Ch – Ch – Charms,' Vanessa yawned again.

Lily smiled at her. She felt it was going to be a good day, even if she did have a ton of work to do.

On the way to and during breakfast, many people wished Lily a happy birthday, boys in particular; Lily had no idea she was so popular. She was very gracious about it, though, and was caught thanking a lot of people and beaming frequently.

'Happy birthday, Flower!' Sirius shouted from across the other end of the Great Hall.

Lily laughed and called back, 'Thank you!'

Jason caught Lily leaving the Great Hall and pulled her into an enormous bear-hug.

'Happy birthday, love,' he said.

She shrieked with laughter. 'Thanks.'

He pulled her into a kiss before they went their separate ways.

Lily sighed happily. She was in too good a mood to be put off by the amount of work McGonagall and Flitwick set her in the morning, even to let Darktoff's taunts get to her, or James's and Sirius's constant teasing.

After her last class of that day, Care of Magical Creatures, Lily made her way up to the common room with Alice, the two keen to warm up again. The common room was unnaturally empty; Lily didn't like it. She felt like something was going on elsewhere that she was missing out on.

'I'm just gonna dump my stuff upstairs,' Alice said gleefully.

'Okay,' Lily smiled.

She sat down in her favourite arm chair by the fireplace and dumped her bag on the floor next to her. She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

A pair of hands covered her eyes.

'What the –?'

'I'm kidnapping you,' said an all-too familiar voice.

'James, what –?'

'I know what your plans are today. You're going to work until it's way past midnight and you've sizzled up your brains. Well, I'm not gonna let you. You're coming with me.'

'Where? Why? What about Alice?'

'Hogsmeade. Because you need it. She practically planned this.'

'_Alice?_'

'Sort of. Come on.'

His hands found hers, and he dragged her away, the Invisibility Cloak over his shoulder.

'James!' Lily continuously protested, although she secretly liked the idea of being taken away.

'Don't try walking away,' he smirked.

He led them down to the stairs by their Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, where he plainly told her to shut up unless they wanted to be caught by Darktoff. James then withdrew an old piece of parchment. He extracted his wand, tapped the parchment and said, 'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good.'

'When are you ever not,' Lily said exasperatedly.

She felt slight shock when she saw ink lines drawing themselves on the parchment.

James consulted this before saying, 'Excellent. Looks like Sirius's diversion's still working in the Great Hall. Let's go.'

He tapped the hump of the statue of the one-eyed witch with his wand and hissed the word, '_Dissendium_,' which revealed a very small passageway.

'Take my hand,' James said.

'We're not actually going _down_ there, are we?' Lily said, looking horrified.

James raised his eyebrows.

'Oh, _fine_,' she said, taking James's hand – the one that wasn't holding his lit wand.

She didn't protest as he led the way, but she did ask, 'Why are you being so nice to me?'

'You really need it, Lils,' he said. 'Whenever I see you, you're working; in the library, in the common room, during dinner, in your dormitory –'

'You _what_?' Lily spluttered.

'Joking, Lils, joking,' James laughed. 'It didn't look like Downs was gonna do anything for you, so … here I am.'

Lily didn't know what to say, so she merely squeezed James's hand; he returned the pressure, which Lily took as a sign that he understood all the things she couldn't put into words.

'So … this passageway leads to Hogsmeade?'

'Yup,' James said. 'The cellar in Honeydukes.'

'Sweet,' said Lily appreciatively. 'No pun intended,' she added quickly.

James laughed slightly.

For the rest of the day, and a bit of the night, they had fun in Hogsmeade. James showed Lily a side to it she had never seen. They got real close to the supposedly haunted Shrieking Shack, roamed through abandoned streets and had fun pulling jokes on people as they couldn't be seen. He claimed it was 'a Marauder thing', which Lily was cool enough to be in on. She laughed and nudged him for that.

The day only came to an end when she reminded him they had to patrol corridors. Once they were back in Hogwarts, and James had stashed his Invisibility Cloak and Map away, Lily thanked him with a kiss on the cheek, which left a burning red patch.

'Honestly, I've not had a day as amazing as this in a _long_ time. Thanks, James.'

'No problem,' he said breathlessly. 'It was my pleasure.'

*.*.*

A couple of weeks flew by. One Saturday evening found the Gryffindors practicing for Quidditch, until a diversion took place on the pitch. Remus ran to the pitch, having been indoors studying for as long as James had been practicing.

Alice, Sirius, Vanessa, Lily and Jason, who was only there to accompany Lily, watched confusedly as James flew to the ground and Remus muttered something in his ear.

The rest of the team then flew down to join James, who told them all something eagerly.

'What's going on?' Vanessa murmured, more to Alice, who was craning her neck to get a better look.

'I don't know, but I think we should go down there …'

Alice was first to get up, when she noticed James had gotten up on his broomstick and was flying towards them, just as the rest of the Quidditch team headed to the changing rooms.

'Good news,' James said, beaming from ear to ear; Lily hadn't seen the boy this radiant in a while.

'Better be,' Vanessa said. 'I'm getting sick of all the bad news …'

Sirius took her hand and indicated that James should go on.

'All the victims of the vampire attacks are awakening,' he said excitedly. 'We're gonna get our Wormtail back!'

Alice and Vanessa squealed, jumping and hugging each other. Sirius grinned widely, while Lily said, 'Aww! Finally.'

She turned to hug Jason, completely forgetting James was there. But, for once, he didn't seem to care. He was busy scrutinising Jason's reaction. Jason didn't appear to notice Lily. His expression was distant and thoughtful. Abruptly, he took a step back, and said, 'I've got to go. It's getting dark.'

'Jason?' Lily said, taken aback. 'Where are you –? What –?'

'Sorry, Lily, I have to go.'

And with that, he turned around and glided away.

'That was … sudden,' Vanessa said, breaking the awkwardness.

'Yeah … so how did you find out the news, James?' Lily asked, attempting to push away her thoughts and feelings.

James was still hovering on his broomstick in the stands the rest were on.

'Remus,' he said simply, smiling.

'I knew _that_,' Lily said, slapping his arm gently. 'Where did _he_ hear it from?'

'Dumbledore himself,' said James. 'He overheard Dumbledore and McGonagall talking as they went past the library. Neat, huh? Don't let too many people know, though. We still don't know who the vampire is.'

'But … I thought you said Downs – I mean Jason – was a suspect. You just said it right in front of him!'

'Yeah … about that …'

Lily decided James looked kind of cute when he was guiltily running his hand through his hair and avoiding Lily's eyes.

'Yes, James?' Lily grinned.

'I thought about it, and I guess I don't really think Downs – I mean Jason – would attack any students. He's a Ravenclaw; he's safe. Besides, you trust him … and I have trust in your trust. He must be trustworthy if you trust him.'

Words failed Lily. She beamed at him, and stepped closer to the edge of the stands to wrap her arms around James, who mimicked her.

'So … you're not mad at me, anymore?' he asked her tentatively.

'I can't ever seem to stay mad at you for long these days,' Lily said softly.

It was another intense moment, when everything around them seemed to freeze, become trivial. All one noticed was the other's soft eyes, charming smile, radiant warmth …

'Are you two should-be lovebirds done? Some of us are getting cold out here,' Vanessa said.

Vanessa's sudden outburst made Lily jump. Already being on the edge of the stands, she was quick to fall back, plunging into darkness, her screams echoing, combined with those of Alice and Vanessa.

James quickly unfroze himself and, like a bullet, darted after where he had seen her fall. She wasn't hard to find; her skin seemed to shine in the darkness. She fell straight into his arms, apparently unconscious. He flew them safely to the ground before jumping off his broom and laying her on the cold ground, her face in his hands.

'Lily?' he said quietly, but frantically. 'Lily? Please speak! Lils!'

'How is she?' Remus said quickly, having sprinted to James's side. 'What happened? I just saw someone fall –'

'Moony, she's not waking up! She didn't even hit the ground! Why isn't she waking up?'

'James, it's okay,' Remus said soothingly. 'Her heart probably overworked itself. She'll be fine in a few minutes.'

'What if –'

James broke off in mid-sentence, hearing panting sounds.

'Is she okay? Did you get there in time?' Vanessa spluttered, clutching a stitch in her side. 'I swear I didn't mean to scare her or any –'

'She's unconscious,' Remus said calmly. 'I'm sure she'll wake up in a few minutes,' he added, when Alice squealed.

'Oh, Merlin, what did I _do_?' Vanessa began, but Sirius cut across her.

'It was hardly your fault. This is nothing compared to what could've happened, anyway. V, chill.'

'But …'

James managed to block out all other sounds besides that of Lily's steady breathing. Watching her breath rise before him made James realise she was probably freezing. He shrugged off his Quidditch robe and wrapped it around her, while his teeth chattered in protest.

'Come on, Lily …'

Sirius put a hand on James's shoulder and crouched down by his side. 'Mate, it's only been a minute, and that's quite a fall she had. Give her some time.'

'Yes. Time. She just needs time. Lily …!'

'_James_,' they said in unison.

Barely another minute passed when Lily started stirring. Her head began shaking from side-to-side in James's hands. Her soft groan put James at ease immediately; he could almost literally feel sweet relief coursing through him.

'What the …' Lily said softly, now opening her eyes.

'How're you feeling, Lils?' James's words were barely a whisper.

'F – fine,' Lily said, only just realising what had happened and what was now happening.

'She's cold,' Remus said. 'I think we all are. Let's get inside.'

'Yeah,' Sirius agreed. 'Maybe we can go down to the kitchens and get some hot chocolate.'

'Hot chocolate sounds great right about now,' Vanessa said fervently, allowing Sirius to steer her inside, along with Remus.

James helped Lily to her feet. She shook off James's Quidditch robe, thanking him for it.

'No problem,' he said quietly. 'I'll be a sec; I've got to put my Quidditch stuff back. Go on ahead.'

'We can stay here for a bit,' Alice said happily.

James shrugged and headed for the changing rooms, leaving Alice and Lily standing awkwardly in the middle of nowhere.

'_Lumos_,' Alice chanted, lighting her wand.

'Good idea,' Lily smiled. She meant to draw out her wand … but it wasn't there.

'What's wrong?' Alice asked.

'I can't find my wand,' Lily said, beginning to panic.

'It probably fell out when you, you know, fell.'

'What if it broke?' gasped Lily.

'Let's see. _Accio Lily's wand_,' Alice murmured into the darkness, waving her wand.

It was a few seconds before Alice felt something sharp poke her.

'Ow! Lily, your wand attacked me!'

'Clever wand, knows its stuff. Thanks, Alice,' Lily said joyfully, as Alice passed over the offending wand.

Alice grumbled something unintelligible, which Lily chose to ignore.

'Alice? What happened to me?' she said quietly.

'We all decided to come out and watch James –'

'Alice? What happened after I fell?' Lily amended, seeing one of Alice's long stories coming on. 'I mean, I should've gone _splat_ on the ground, only I didn't.'

'Oh … James dived after you. He caught you before you hit the ground. The fear must've gotten to your poor little heart …'

'James? As in Potter?' Lily said disbelievingly.

'Why use that tone? The boy would throw himself off the Astronomy tower if it'd do you any good.'

Alice missed Lily's deep crimson blush.

'I wish he'd stop being there for me all the time,' Lily mumbled. 'He makes me feel terrible.'

'Okay,' said Alice. 'Next time you fall about thirty to forty feet, we'll make sure James is well away. See if you feel terrible afterwards.'

Lily couldn't help but laugh. 'I should thank him,' she said.

'Good idea,' Alice said, mimicking how Lily had been just a few minutes ago.

Just then, the girls turned as they heard footsteps in the dark. It was only James.

'I thought I told you girls to go on,' James said, although he sounded glad they had waited. 'It's cold out here.'

'I don't like watching Sirius harass the house-elves,' Alice shrugged. 'He's kind to them when he's not starving to death. Merlin! Those poor house-elves have Sirius to deal with! I'll save them!' she added dramatically. She took off then and there.

'Alice!' Lily said, half-laughing, half-shouting, while also cursing the cunning girl for leaving her alone with James.

'Girl never fails to amuse me,' James grinned, shaking his head. He extinguished his wand once they reached the well-lit castle. 'It's not even dinner time yet, is it?' James sighed.

'You're still hungry?' Lily laughed. 'After all you had for lunch?'

'Quidditch uses up a lot of energy,' he said defensively.

'Right,' Lily grinned poking his stomach as they walked down a corridor.

She suddenly grabbed hold of his hand, and turned him so that he was facing her.

'Listen, James,' she began, but he interrupted, putting a finger to her lips.

'I already know what you're gonna say,' he said softly, almost smirking. 'I knew it before you did. You have absolutely nothing to thank me for. I just did what I had to do. I'm pretty sure if anyone else was in my place, they'd do the same.'

Lily smiled shyly and took James's finger and began playing with it.

'Come on,' he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. 'You could really do with some hot chocolate.'

'I would never say no to that,' she smiled.

* * *

Saturday 11th February 1978


	27. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

- Chapter Twenty-seven –

~ Wrong, Wrong, Wrong ~

It was peaceful in the morning of the very next day, although everyone was buzzing with the excitement of the victims awakening, and possibly revealing who the mysterious vampire is. The Head Boy and Girl were to accompany Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall to St Mungo's to welcome back those who had been attacked. And, so, James found himself in the Gryffindor common room surrounded by overly thrilled first-years, waiting Lily to come out from her dormitory and for McGonagall to call the pair of them down.

When Lily did eventually come down, she could barely see an exasperated James through all the first-years, keenly asking him questions.

'All right, guys,' Lily said loudly, although she was smiling, 'that's enough questions. We'll get back to all of you later, promise.'

The first-years hushed for a moment before the babble broke out again.

'Seriously,' Lily said, louder still, 'you don't want to irritate James this early in the morning. It's about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.'

That did the trick; the first-years dispersed almost immediately.

'Thanks, Flower,' James yawned, ruffling his hair.

'No problem,' she smiled. 'We should make our way down to the Entrance Hall before the second-years wake up. Maybe we could catch some breakfast.'

'Good idea,' James agreed.

Neither of them, however, had much breakfast. James attempted to eat some toast, but it tasted like plastic in his mouth, and it just wouldn't go down no matter how many times he chewed.

'Hey, I have something for you,' he said suddenly. He slipped his hand in his pocket and withdrew something small and silver and sparkly. 'I found it, fixed it and forgot about it. I'm not sure if you want it back, but …'

Lily's mouth was perfectly round. 'Of course! I'm … I'm sorry about that James. I was really upset that night and I couldn't find it the next day when we were to leave for Hogwarts and –'

'Lily,' James interrupted calmly, 'you don't need to explain anything to me.'

He took Lily's right hand and placed the necklace he had given her for Christmas in her palm.

'Thanks a lot, James,' Lily said warmly.

'No problem,' he smiled.

'James Potter?' came a soft voice.

'Yello,' said James cheerfully. 'How can I help you?'

The Ravenclaw girl was small for a sixth-year and mousey-haired. She perceived an aura of kindness; the face of an angel. She began playing with her hair nervously. Lily could tell what was going to happen next.

'It's Valentine's Day in two days and I was just wondering if, erm, wanted to, you know … be my Valentine this year …' The girl blushed deeply.

James's expression looked genuinely warm and flattered. 'Thanks,' he said. 'I'd love to get back to you on that.'

'Really?' the girl said, looking taken-aback. 'You'd actually consider me.'

'Of course,' James smiled. 'Why not? I've just got to double-check I don't have any plans.'

'Thanks, James,' the girl smiled. She turned away, her low ponytail swinging; Lily could see a slight spring in her step.

'You're a nice guy, you know that, James?' Lily said. 'I bet you've really made her happy.'

'I try,' James said sincerely.

'Why didn't you just say yes?' she asked lightly.

'I just wanna see if anyone else will ask me, and who,' he said, shrugging.

'If I were you, I wouldn't let her slip,' Lily said thoughtfully. 'She just has that aura, you know?'

'Yeah … We should get going if neither of us are going to have breakfast.'

'Yes,' she said quickly. 'Yes, we should.'

They reached the Entrance Hall before Dumbledore and McGonagall who appeared to be talking about something seriously.

'Ah, punctual as usual, I see,' said Dumbledore happily.

'Yes, sir,' James said.

'Well, we should be off. The students are much awaiting the arrival of the inflicted.'

'Yes, sir,' James repeated.

He and Lily trailed behind Dumbledore and McGonagall who were still deep in conversation about other affairs.

'Are you excited?' Lily asked James as they left the castle.

James shrugged. 'I guess. Haven't seen Wormtail in a while … and poor Sarah. Her parents have been worried out of their minds.'

At that moment, a shout came from behind Lily.

'Lily!'

She and James turned to find Jason running after them.

'Jason?' Lily said. 'Where have you been? I didn't see you at dinner yesterday and –'

'Yeah, I'm sorry,' he said quickly.

He took her in his arms and kissed her quickly on the lips. 'Take care of yourself, okay?' he said. He kissed her again. 'And don't stray from Dumbledore and McGonagall.'

'All right,' Lily said, somewhat confusedly; she couldn't understand where the caring Jason came from.

He kissed her again before she and James turned back around to catch up with the two professors. She gave him a little wave goodbye, which he returned with a sad smile.

'What was that about?' James wondered aloud.

'Hey,' Lily said, 'we're not still going out for no reason, you know. I know our relationship looks strange to you guys, but there is actually something there.'

'As long as you're happy,' James said.

This threw Lily for a moment; she expected James to argue back. Was this opposite day for all of the boys on the planet? Lily thought suspiciously.

Dumbledore ended her musing when he turned around on the two. 'We can now Apparate some of the way to the hospital. I trust the two of you know where it is.'

'Yes, sir,' Lily said, vividly remembering all of the fun-filled times they went to visit Aaliyah in hospital.

When they had finally gotten to the hospital, Dumbledore led the other three to the first floor for Creature-Induced Injuries. It didn't take long for them to find Sarah Watson, the second-year Hufflepuff and Peter; Moody and a couple of other Aurors were standing nearby, almost like security. The victims had already been awoken, and looked sickly and pale.

'I don't blame them,' said McGonagall. 'Traumatisation, that's what it is.'

'They don't really look up for interrogation,' Lily said, pain clear in her voice; James put a comforting arm around her.

'We only need the answer to one question for now,' he said. 'We just need to know who the vampire is.'

The four approached the Aurors for more information, but all that had happened was the patients had been woken up and felt too sick to talk.

'Maybe all they need is some hot chocolate,' Lily said brightly.

'Excellent suggestion, Miss Evans,' said Dumbledore, with a twinkle in his eye. 'I find that normally makes me feel better. If you and Mr Potter would kindly go upstairs and purchase three cups, I would like to see if I can speak to these poor people.'

'Yes, sir,' said Lily, before dragging James away; he had been trying to catch Peter's eye, but luck didn't seem to want to favour him.

The pair had to go up four floors to the Visitors' Tearoom in deadly silence. They both knew what the other was thinking; memories of Aaliyah being hospitalised flooded to mind. There was no stopping the thoughts, no avoiding them. Every feeling Lily attempted to ignore after Aaliyah's death surfaced now.

She found herself unable to keep it all in once they got to the Tearoom. Wordlessly, James pulled her into his arms and allowed tears to slide off her face and onto his shoulder. When she regained control, they broke apart, and she saw his eyes, too, were watering. She gave a small laugh and indicated that they should get the hot chocolates and rush back downstairs as soon as they could. He smiled and nodded.

'Merlin, you've made me a mess,' James said, sniffing.

'You can't look any worse than I do now,' Lily said, sounding as though she had a blocked nose.

'You look beautiful as always,' he said softly. 'C'mon, they'll wonder where we got to,' he added with a slight laugh.

The hot chocolate they brought back did Peter, Sarah and the Hufflepuff a lot of good. Colour returned to their plump faces, and they generally appeared to be a little more alive. It was true, however, that they appeared to shrink at the sight of Lily and James, even Peter.

'Now, I will ask you one simple question,' Moody said not unkindly, 'and you've only got to give me a one or two word answer, okay?'

The three nodded slowly.

'Who attacked you?'

Peter violently shook his head.

'That's not the way it goes,' Moody said with a touch of impatience. 'Give us a name.'

Sarah squealed and turned away, burying her face in her hands.

Dumbledore swiftly glided over to her and crouched down. Speaking gently, he said, 'Miss Watson, I do understand this has been a terrible ordeal for you, and you are not required to speak if you do not wish to do so. However, just two words will prevent your fellow students from the understandably traumatising experience you have been through.'

Sarah poked her head out of her hands slowly, and, looking down into the Headmaster's piercing gaze, she whispered, 'James Potter.'

'Yes, Potter is here,' McGonagall said, 'but who is the vampire?'

'James Potter,' Sarah whispered again. 'He attacked me.'

'Me, too,' the second-year Hufflepuff mumbled.

'I _what_?' James spluttered. 'Pete, is this another one of your jokes?'

Peter shook his head violently. 'J – J – James attacked me too … in our dorm that night. I should've known he was the vampire all along. It all adds up …' he drabbled on, talking more to himself than anyone else.

'Wait …' Moody said, pulling a piece of parchment out of his pocket. 'Yup, Potter was on the list of suspects.'

He held up what Lily recognised as the list she and Potter had so effortlessly worked on in order to track down Hogwarts's vampire. With a slight shock, Lily remembered it was she who wrote down his name.

'That was a joke,' James said quickly, struggling to keep calm, although his heart was making attempts to jump out of his chest. 'Tell them, Lily,' he said pleadingly.

She didn't have to think for even a minute – she believed that, despite what the victims had said, James couldn't be the vampire. He would never inflict long-lasting harm upon his friends, or anyone for that matter.

'I was only joking about him being a suspect, Professor,' said Lily quickly, almost urgently. 'I didn't think this list would be taken seriously. I didn't have any evidence to back up my little joke and –'

'We have proof now, don't we?' Moody growled. 'These three have spoken and there's no evidence against anyone else being a vampire, so …'

'But James _can't_ be a vampire,' Lily cried. 'Look at him! He looks nothing like one.'

'Vampires can come in disguise,' Moody shrugged.

'Peter, tell them it wasn't James,' said Lily. 'Tell them!'

'Alastor,' voiced McGonagall, 'I know Potter quite well academically and personally, and I know he isn't capable of such damage, however much his school record may suggest otherwise.'

'All those detentions with McGonagall really paid off,' said James quietly to Lily, in spite of himself.

'What do you think, Albus?' Moody grunted.

Dumbledore surveyed James, making him feel extremely uncomfortable, yet hopeful. It was a few seconds before he answered.

'I believe our three witnesses may still be responding to the trauma, and that they should be given a few days to fully return to their senses.'

'And if Potter really is who we're after? We should be safe just in case. I reckon constant observation. Might be able to get some Dementors onto his case.'

Lily saw James's face get drained of what little colour it had left, and, suddenly, she saw the shadow of a vampire on him.

'No,' said Dumbledore firmly. 'We do not need to bring Dementors into this situation, especially if they are to roam the castle and follow James. I know of a highly capable witch who would be able to keep an eye on James, and discreetly; other students need not know anything until everything is confirmed.'

'Of course, Albus,' said Moody. 'Who?'

'Miss Evans.'

*.*.*

Neither Lily nor James enjoyed being bombarded with questions upon arrival. Both were to tell everyone nothing had been found out, as the patients were yet to recover from their experience. Faces fell and colours once again turned to grey.

Lily was expected to follow James around in every one of his classes and Quidditch practices. She even had to see him off to bed at night and be awake before him in the morning. And Dumbledore was right – Lily was perfectly capable. She was thankful that she and James had most of their classes together. The only difference was that when Lily had Care of Magical Creatures, James would have a free period – and she wasn't going to complain about that, as James offered to go to that class with her so she wouldn't miss out.

'Thanks,' she had said.

'Hey, you're the one making the biggest sacrifices,' he had replied. 'I'm sorry I don't spend much time sitting around studying, though …'

Lily knew what he meant by "the biggest sacrifices". Lily had to be present when James accepted Camilla Rawlins as his Valentine and Lily would have to stick around when the two go on their romantic walk across Hogwarts's grounds, getting to know each other, although she would have to be under the Invisibility Cloak, so as not to weird Camilla out.

What with all of the James-stalking, Lily was finding it hard to maintain her own love life. She saw very little of Jason, before Valentine's Day, and wished she didn't see him on the day.

Darkness had fallen by the time Lily and James left their Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, as James had to serve a detention after class for cheek towards Professor Darktoff. The two were swiftly gliding along the corridor, for some reason as quiet as possible; James was already late for his date, and he was yet to get ready. Despite the rush, he couldn't help but stop in his tracks when he heard soft moans coming from the inside of Filch's supplies closet.

'You know it's Valentine's Day for sure,' James said, shaking his head.

'Jason …' the girl's voice said. 'Downs … stop _right_ there. No more!'

Lily and James's eyes widened.

'Lily, come on,' James said quickly, holding onto her around the waist and trying to drag her away.

But Lily wasn't having that. She struggled against his grip, but he eventually gave in to the look in her eyes.

'Lily, _let me deal with this_,' said James, but she wasn't having any of that, either.

She withdrew her wand, waved it once and watched as the door banged open, revealing none other than the dark-haired Ravenclaw with his head buried in some other girl's neck, their hair and clothes a mess.

Lily's breathing instantly became shallower and uneven, and her cheeks appeared a little flushed. Tears froze in her eyes, but not enough so that she couldn't see.

'Oh, thank Merlin!' the girl said. '_Finally_!'

Almost literally feeling her heart breaking, Lily took a few steps back, shaking her head vigorously. Being able to take it no longer, she ran off as fast as she could, heading for the common room.

'Lily! Wait!' Jason shouted after her. 'It's not what it looks like, I swear!'

'Huh?' said the girl a little dazedly.

James shot Jason a look of pure contempt. Deciding he wanted to comfort Lily more than he wanted to tear Jason limb from limb, he followed the footsteps of the former, hoping she was heading where he thought she was.

His hopes were satisfied; Lily wasn't hard to find. Besides the two, the common room was empty – it must be dinner time already. Lily was curled up on the sofa, hugging a cushion and staring into the fireplace. She didn't acknowledge James's presence. When she did, she got up rapidly and made for the girls' dormitories, but he blocked her path. Almost instantly, she dissolved. Once again, James took her into his arms, and led her back to the sofa. He let her cry her eyes out, and just stroked her hair, as if this would do her any good.

'You were right,' she sniffed. 'He _was_ a player, he _did_ hurt me. You were right …'

'I really wish I wasn't,' he said thickly. 'I wish I was wrong, I wish that was just the teenager in me talking. I've never wanted anything more than for you to be happy.'

And that was how the rest of the evening went. Even after dinner, the common room was quite quiet, as many students were either with someone special, or so sick of Valentine's Day that they shut themselves in their dormitories.

But Lily and James barely noticed, for, at that point, all that mattered was that they needed one another and they had each other for that night. Even when Lily reminded James he had a date, James decided friends came first, although he was enough of a gentleman to get an owl sent to Camilla to explain to her what had happened and how sorry he was.

They fell asleep on the sofa in each other's arms that night, not knowing things would be so different between them in the next few days than they were now.

* * *

Tuesday 14th February 1978


	28. Because of You

**A/N Thank you **_**so**_** much to those of you who reviewed my last chapter. I haven't laughed so hard in a while, and I was much in need of those laughs :') You guys are amazing; thank you.**

* * *

- Chapter Twenty-eight –

~ Because of You ~

'James!' Camilla exclaimed in a tone of surprise. 'Hi.'

'Hey there,' he replied. He unconsciously ruffled his dark hair, thinking of how to phrase what he wanted to say, although he had been rehearsing it; Lily smiled encouragingly at him, keeping an eye on him from a fair distance. 'Erm … wanna hang out tonight?'

An expression of sincere guiltiness instantly took over Camilla's pretty face. 'I can't James, I'm sorry. I have a horrible essay to tackle for McGonagall, and you know what she's like about her homework.'

'I'd love to help you with it,' James offered quickly. 'Transfiguration's one of the very few subjects I can actually do.'

Lily picked up on the lack of exaggeration in his words and smiled to herself.

'So I've heard,' Camilla said lightly. 'All right, then. Meet you outside the library at half-four?'

'Of course,' James said courteously in an old-fashioned manner.

Camilla giggled, curtseyed and followed her friends who were making their way out of the Great Hall, headed to their first lesson. She blew him a kiss, which he was quick to catch. For some strange reason, this irritated Lily very slightly. Nonetheless, she smiled at him before telling him he was to accompany her in Care of Magical Creatures.

The rest of the day passed quite quickly for James, who found himself eagerly anticipating his study date with Camilla, although he couldn't quite understand why. She was an extremely likeable girl.

'I'll be coming, too,' Lily reminded him, as he, once again, began talking about how excited he was – was he honestly trying to make Lily jealous? _Either way_, she thought, _it's not working_.

'What?' James said, appearing confused.

'I'll be there, as well,' said Lily. 'In the library. Dumbledore told me I have to keep an eye on you, so I shall.'

'No,' said James. 'You can't come – it's supposed to be just me and Camilla.'

'I'll be under the Cloak, James,' she replied with a small laugh. 'What's so wrong with that?'

James shrugged. 'I just wanted it to, you know, be special. Just me and Camilla.'

'Oh, right …' said Lily, feeling a little suffocated now. 'I – I get it.'

'You do?' he said brightly. 'Thanks, Lils. I really like Camilla, you know. Her best subject is Charms, and, boy, is she charming. She shines in Potions, as well. She has an older sister whom she passionately dislikes; she's a squib. Her rants are cute. She's not too fond of flying, but I'm sure I can change that about her.'

'Good luck with that,' Lily grinned.

'Cheers. Oh, you know what else I love about her? She has standards, and doesn't lower them for anyone or anything. You've just gotta love a girl with a bit of fire. She really reminds me of someone, I don't really know who,' said James pensively. 'Like an old friend or someone I wish I knew …'

He then consulted his watch. 'I'd better go now. It's nearly half-four. See you around.' He waved slightly before turning his back on her and heading for his dormitory.

'Yeah … bye …'

It was ridiculous how even the little things James would say could get to her. This wasn't the Lily she used to be. Shaking her head and telling herself to get it together, she decided to go to her own dormitory and see if she could narrow down her workload; keeping busy was always a good way of avoiding certain thoughts.

When Lily opened her dormitory door, Vanessa leapt off her bed and hugged her.

'LILY! Long time, no speak,' she said happily.

'Sorry,' she grinned. 'I've been busy with Head duties and all of that, you know.'

'Yeah, yeah, James Potter and all of that, you know,' Vanessa said airily, earning a shove from the redhead.

'So, tell us,' Vanessa began, jumping back on her bed, 'what happened at the hospital? How come Sarah, Peter and that little Hufflepuff boy aren't with us now?'

'They're a bit out of their minds,' Lily explained, rummaging through her school bag. 'McGonagall reckons it's because of the shock. But I don't doubt they're on the road to full recovery. They have really nice Healers.'

She ended up pulling out a long piece of parchment with only an essay title Lily assumed Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had assigned them. She couldn't, however, find her copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7 _by Miranda Goshawk, although she searched her bag thoroughly.

'Shoot!' she said, remembering something. 'I lent it to Sirius … anyone have a copy of the Charms textbook?'

'I lent mine to someone else,' said Vanessa apologetically.

'Never had one,' Cassie grunted.

'I think I've lost mine,' wailed Alice.

Lily rolled her eyes at her friends' usefulness. 'Madam Pince must have a spare one. Yes, I think I'll go to the library.'

_You can't come – it's supposed to be just me and Camilla._

She froze, remembering what she had said to James. But she wasn't going to go there to spy on him, just to find a book. She would take the Cloak so he wouldn't see her and suspect she was spying on him; it was good James lent her his Cloak.

Making sure no one else saw, Lily discreetly slipped James's Cloak under her robes; the other girls were now deeply absorbed in the never-ending debate revolving around who the vampire could be.

'Be right back,' said Lily.

When she was out of the dormitory, she concealed herself and descended the stairs, careful not to bump into anyone.

Lily begun her search upon reaching the library, which she knew well enough to know where the book was most likely to be hiding. She glimpsed sight of Camilla and James laughing together, and grinned without knowing why. She was to go in their direction anyways, as the book she was looking for was probably on a shelf near them.

'… So – so Lily really _did_ that?' Camilla laughed, struggling to breathe properly.

'Yep,' said James, laughing just as hard.

'Amazing!' She wiped a tear of laughter from her eyes before continuing. 'So there's _definitely_ nothing going on between the two of you?'

'Absolutely nothing,' James clarified. 'Everyone thinks I have a thing for her, but I really don't. I mean, she's all right, except for the fact that she's, you know, too _Lily_.'

'As long as one of us knows what you're trying to say,' said Camilla, wiping another tear of laughter from her eyes.

They both burst out laughing again.

Lily had had enough. She could feel her heart drumming madly, could feel blood pounding inside her ears. Her eyes began to sting and her hands began to tremble as she used up every bit of her strength to not slap him around the back of the head with the extremely large textbook that was now in her hands.

She quickly and quietly left the library, becoming more and more careless of walking into unaware students.

'Argh, it's Peeves again!' one first-year squealed, as he and his friends ran for their lives.

Lily threw off the Cloak before storming back into the dormitories, face now red and tears threatening to spill.

Vanessa was the first to gasp. 'Lily, what on earth –?'

'I don't want to talk about it now,' Lily said thickly, bouncing on her four-poster bed and drawing the curtains so that no one would see her.

She stayed in bed for the rest of the evening and pretended to be asleep. She missed dinner and allowed herself to forget about Flitwick's essay, allowed herself to forget about everything altogether, wishing she could just melt in her bedcovers. This pain was worse than the pain Jason had given her …

*.*.*

Vanessa didn't bother trying to wake Lily up in the morning, despite how much she would have liked the girl to have breakfast.

'Nessy-pooo!' Sirius shouted from across the Great Hall almost as soon as Alice, Cassie and Vanessa stepped in.

'What, Sirius?' Vanessa hissed when they were closer. 'How many times have I told you _not_ to call me that?'

Sirius shrugged and continued in an irritatingly loud voice. 'You're missing someone. Where's Flower?'

'Upstairs,' Vanessa answered stiffly.

'Why?'

''Cause you're down here,' said Cassie shortly.

'Uh!' Sirius said in a high-pitched voice. 'Offended, much!'

'Yeah, you better be,' said Cassie, helping herself to some toast.

'Come on,' an amused James said. 'We've got to get to Potions.'

Remus piped up, 'I have Arithmancy. See you guys later.'

'Bye, Remus!' Alice said in voice a few sopranos higher than her usual. She waved to him in a way which told the others she was already hyper.

'So, what's up with Lily?' James asked Vanessa, sounding only mildly concerned.

They were now making their way down to the freezing cold dungeons where they had Potions with Professor Slughorn.

'Ah, you know,' said Vanessa casually, shrugging.

'No … I don't … so I asked you …' James replied slowly.

'Well, I don't know either,' said Vanessa, avoiding James's eyes. 'I think she's just feeling a bit ill today.'

'But she's supposed to be stalking me,' said James, sounding disappointed.

'She's obviously gotten bored of you already, mate,' said Sirius. 'You're so bad that she's pulling a sickie – _Lily Evans_, Head Girl … the Mighty One Who Very Rarely Misses Class.'

James frowned. 'Am I really that bad?'

Vanessa laughed heartily. 'Of course not, James. I doubt it has anything to do with you, anyway.'

'Did she look ill this morning?' he asked seriously, as they all took their seats in the dungeons.

'I didn't really see her,' Vanessa replied uncomfortably. 'I didn't see her last night either. She went to bed last night and just … didn't get up.'

'She's _alive_, right?'

But Vanessa didn't have time to answer as Slughorn came booming into the room, seeming excited about the lesson he had planned.

'I have an easy lesson for all of you!' he said happily. 'I know it's a little bit too O.W.L. standard. However, I thought it's half way through the term, and we could all do with a bit of relaxation.'

His students were all listening keenly, for they were all eager to take a break from serious work; N.E.W.T. Potions certainly wasn't easy.

'This lesson, I've decided we could all brew some Invigoration Draught!' he announced happily. 'Can someone tell us what effect the Invigoration Draught has on the drinker? Perhaps Lovely Lily can tell us …?'

Slughorn took a look around the room, looking for the redhead, who normally would have had her hand raised, keen to share her knowledge with the rest of the class. His face fell as he said, 'Where's Lily?'

'She's a bit unwell, Professor,' said Vanessa.

'Lily Evans is actually missing class?' He ignored Sirius's sniggers. 'Well I never … guess there really is a first time for everything. The girl could probably use an Invigoration Draught, as well …'

James shifted uncomfortably in his seat, still feeling as if Lily's absence was his fault. He was relieved when Potions was over, and he was due for a free period. It was clear to everyone, though, that Lily was still on his mind.

'I've got to go to Astronomy,' said Vanessa. 'I have a ton of theory work to catch up on. But I can assure you, Lily's fine. She's probably keeping herself busy with a ton of work, and hating herself for missing today. You know what she's like. Wouldn't you agree that she needs a break?'

'Yeah, I guess,' said James, feeling better.

Cassie wasn't so easily assured. When Vanessa was gone, she said, 'I'm gonna go talk to the girl and see what's up. Thank Merlin for free periods.'

'Sirius and I will be in the common room,' said James. 'I'm pretty sure I have some work I could be getting on with.'

'All right,' said Cassie.

Unusually united by their goal to find out what was wrong with their friend, they headed for Gryffindor common room together, and split up when Cassie took the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

'Yo, ginge!' was her greeting after banging the dormitory door open. 'Rise and shine! It's a cloudy Thursday, just like any other – you don't wanna miss it. Get _up, _girl!'

The curtains surrounding Lily's four poster bed were still drawn. Cassie sighed heavily and decided to take the more sensitive approach.

She sighed again and whipped one of the dark red curtains aside.

'Lils, we all know something's up,' she spoke softly to the lump underneath the bed covers. 'What bad could've happened to make you want to miss a day off school? Slughorn seemed absolutely heartbroken by you not being there, you know. The man _loves_ his precious Lilybell.'

The girl didn't respond. Cassie huffed and shook her. She felt oddly soft. A bit too soft …

Cassie pulled back the bed covers to reveal pillows squashed together in a position which resembled Lily curling into a ball.

'That …' Cassie said aloud, before remembering she was talking to no one.

James jumped up from his arm chair in the common room as soon as he saw Cassie descend the stairs.

'What's up?'

'Nothing,' said Cassie, shaking her head. 'She's gone off to Care of Magical Creatures, or whatever class she has now. She must be feeling better already.'

'Are you sure?' James asked, his forehead slightly creased.

'Yeah,' said Cassie. 'She's gone.'

'Now _that's_ more like the Flower we know,' said Sirius cheerfully. 'Come on, Prongs, make your move.'

Cassie looked over and saw the boys were playing a game of Wizard Chess.

'This is the work you have to do …?' said Cassie sceptically, her eyebrows raised.

'I couldn't concentrate,' said James, turning slightly pink and avoiding Cassie's stare.

A break followed their free period. Among the faces that suddenly spilled into the common room, the three spotted Alice's.

'Has anyone checked on Lily?'

'What, you mean she wasn't with you just now?' James asked.

Alice shook her head. 'Why would she be? She missed Potions, remember?'

'But she wasn't upstairs when I looked,' Cassie said, perplexed.

'Bathroom?' Alice suggested.

'Didn't hear her,' said Cassie.

'Maybe she just … went out for a walk,' said Alice, smiling and nodding her head.

Cassie shrugged. 'Works for me. Come on, we have Herbology to get to. Oooh, the greenhouses are going to be _so _cold …'

'On your own,' said Alice brightly. 'I have a free period now … enjoy!'

She skipped to the stairs and ascended them quite quickly, while Cassie left the common room, shaking her head.

'Arithmancy, mate,' said Sirius, clapping his best friend on the back.

James made it through Arithmancy, lunch, Transfiguration and Charms with the comforting thought that Lily may have just gone to Madam Pomfrey for a pepper-up potion. It was, after all, mid-February and plenty of students were catching colds.

By dinner time, however, when Lily still hadn't showed up, James was beginning to worry again. He seemed to be the only one. Vanessa looked as cool as a cucumber, mucking around with Sirius, and Alice was her usual serenity. He was extremely good at seeming indifferent, though; maybe this was the case with Alice and Vanessa as well.

*.*.*

McGonagall can't have been entirely truthful when she told the seventh-years that their final year at Hogwarts was going to be nightmarish, for Alice, Cassie, James, Remus, Sirius and Vanessa were now gathered around a round table in the Gryffindor common room, playing a highly entertaining game of Exploding Snap with a pack of cards Sirius found in a place he wouldn't reveal the name of in front of the girls.

As the night grew darker still, the fireplace in the common room began going out, making it harder to play. Drowsiness began settling in and the group number began decreasing. Alice and Cassie were first to leave, followed by Vanessa, who had fallen out with Sirius yet again, after he snatched some of her cards, took a look at them and handed them back to her.

The game finally ended when Sirius cheated, yet again, and Remus threw the cards in his hands at him. Sirius whipped out his wand, and, with a gleam in his eye, whispered, '_Levicorpus_.'

Remus found himself hanging upside down in mid-air, and all the blood rushing to his head.

James didn't want to witness all the hexes Sirius might use on Remus, and he didn't have to, for at that precise moment, a much awaited witch entered the common room.

'Lily,' James said, although Remus and Sirius were completely oblivious.

Lily didn't even look twice at James. In a few strides he blocked the stairway to the dormitories.

'Lily, where have you been?' James asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

She didn't even meet his gaze, but was instead looking down at the floor. When she didn't respond, he gently took a few of her fingers and nearly gasped.

'You're _freezing_!' he exclaimed. He then took both of her hands and begun warming them up. 'What's wrong?'

'Nothing,' Lily croaked. 'Let me go. I want my bed.'

'Not until you tell me what's wrong,' said James softly, playing with Lily's fingers again.

'As if you care …'

James's forehead creased. 'I do. Of course I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't ask. I only ask about people I care about.'

'Right.'

'Lily –'

'Please, James,' said Lily pleadingly, looking straight into his hazel eyes with a puppy dog expression. 'It's been a long day. All I really want is my bed. Please.'

He released his grip on her hands and didn't stop her as she stepped around him to get to the stairs. Instead, he felt a bit of his heart breakaway. Lily was obviously in quite a bit of pain if she was trying to shut herself away from everything and everyone. The feeling was so deep James felt it cut through him, as well. This could just be something Jason-related …


	29. Bittersweet and Strange

**A/N: Birthday shoutout to a special FFF (fanfic friend). Happy birthday, girl!**

* * *

- Chapter Twenty-nine –

~ Bittersweet and Strange ~

No one gave the appearance of noticing Lily fade into the background for days afterwards. She would go down to the Great Hall for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but only to swish around her food on her plate. She arrived to lessons on time, but never once would she put her hand up when she knew the answer to a question, nor would she take proper notes or even seem as though she was paying attention. Anyone who took even a glance at Lily could tell something wasn't right; her hair was always pulled back into a scruffy ponytail or a somewhat more stylish bun. It wasn't fair how she could pull off the look.

Nonetheless, everyone seemed too busy to care. Exams were mere months away, and, on top of this, there was the upcoming Quidditch match: Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. Whenever the Ravenclaw team hadn't booked the pitch to practice, the Gryffindor team had. It didn't help Gryffindor how Slytherin and Hufflepuff were siding with Ravenclaw; having everyone against them was quite discouraging. But still the Gryffindor Quidditch team ploughed on.

The morning of the highly anticipated match found the Gryffindors in the Great Hall trying to have breakfast without paying attention to the Slytherins' boos and hisses.

Lily was already in the Great Hall when James came down. He saw her, but decided to walk past her and join Angela, William and the rest of the team. On his way to them, as he walked past Lily, he felt a slight tug on his jumper's sleeve.

'What's up?' he said, sighing slightly as he turned to look down at Lily.

'You're gonna be fine,' she said quietly, smiling so faintly that James wasn't sure the smile was a figment of his wishful imagination.

'Thanks, Lils,' he replied even quieter, but with a clearer smile.

She let go of him and he headed towards his teammates, his thoughts revolving around her. It wasn't fair that she could have this effect on him, even though he was in a relationship he felt could last.

He still couldn't stand it, not knowing her pain or understanding his own. When they had all had their breakfast and were to get going to the changing rooms, James held back a bit and asked Lily if they could have a word in the Entrance Hall; the Great Hall was steadily becoming filled up with well-wishers … and Slytherins.

'Lily, I really am worried about you,' he said in a deep voice.

Just then, a first-year Gryffindor girl skipped up to James.

'Good luck, Captain!' she said happily.

'Thanks, cutie,' James smiled.

He then turned back to Lily, who said, 'Forget it. Forget me. You have a match to prepare for. Break a leg … interpret that how you will.'

'What's your –'

'Hey, James!' a young boy said, pushing Lily aside slightly. 'Can I have your autograph, please? Please, O' Great Captain?'

'Sure, Buddy,' said James kindly, signing a page of the boy's book of autographs. He didn't miss how Lily raised her eyebrows.

When the boy went away, James began talking again. 'Look, I know –'

'James,' Lily interrupted, with an edge to her voice, 'I really don't think I need your – your – your _charity_.'

'What charity?' James asked, perplexed; whatever he was expecting from her, it wasn't this.

'Did you think you were doing me a favour or something, giving me the illusion we were friends, because you feel sorry for me?'

'What? No, of course I –'

'Hey, James!' came another interruption. 'Good luck, man!'

'Thanks,' said James, feigning happiness, although he was beginning to lose his patience.

'Good luck, Potter!' squealed a blonde girl with pigtails.

'Thank you,' James called back.

A crowd began swarming around James, wishing him luck.

'Wait a second, Lils,' said James.

But Lily turned around and marched off. James heard her say, 'You obviously need some quality time with your fans. I'll leave you to it,' before she did so.

It was hard for him to hold in his frustration. He was grateful for all the support, but, right now, all he wanted was to talk to Lily, just to get a few minutes alone with her.

James got to the Quidditch pitch eventually, and was ready in no time, although thoughts of Lily were still continuously swivelling in James's mind. He barely noticed when Leon Jordan's commentary began as the players came out on the wet and muddy pitch, the captains of both teams shook hands, and the match had started.

'Terrible conditions for a match,' Leon was saying. 'It's wet and cold and it looks like it's gonna rain! Let's hope the Snitch gets caught quickly. I don't fancy getting wet today …'

'Man up!' James heard Sirius shout.

In response, Leon laughed into the megaphone before continuing with his commentary, speaking of the many places the Quaffle was getting to. This was the one thing James liked about Quidditch; it could take his mind off just about everything else in the world. Gryffindor was three goals in before James got a proper grip of the game.

'Angela Smith in possession of the Quaffle. Passes to Kelly to James Potter to Smith – back to Potter WHO SCORES! That brings the score to forty-ten already! Gryffindor's in the lead, then! And Amy Peterson's in possession of the Quaffle – _oh, did you see Isabella James get that Bludger_? Brilliant!'

'So Peterson's still got the Quaffle – passes to Lewis Challis – _brilliantly_ intercepted by Potter – and – _oh_, hit by a Bludger! Curtis Hughes in possession of the Quaffle – to Challis – to Peterson – can she beat Nathan Wood? YES, SHE BEATS THE KEEPER! But Gryffindors still in the lead forty-twenty!'

'V, it's okay,' Sirius was assuring a horrified Vanessa. 'Prongs is fine. Look. He's flying again. You can open your eyes now …'

He put his arms around Vanessa and took her hands off her eyes for her.

'Really?' she said, her eyes shut tight.

'Seriously,' he said patiently, releasing her hands.

And sure enough, James was perfectly fine, and along with Angela and Kelly, they scored more goals using the tactics they had tried out during practises.

'Gryffindor's now up by a hundred and ten points, making the score a hundred and forty-thirty. Gotta compliment Potter on the way he's shaped up his team …

'Wait, what's this? Has Perry Dawes, Gryffindor Seeker, seen the Snitch?'

Most of the crowd gasped.

James turned to find his Seeker, narrowly dodging a Bludger, which then hit Angela.

'OH, Smith hit by a Bludger well-aimed by Ravenclaw Beater James.'

James flew over to Angela, to ensure she was okay, at the same time as watching his own back for a Bludger.

'Time out!' Madam Hooch called, also in concern about Angela.

Barely seconds after those words were spoken, Cameron Stone, Beater and Captain, aimed a Bludger in James's direction. With a loud and painful _thud_ straight in the head, James felt his grip on his broomstick slip, and felt darkness engulfing him. He heard hundreds of screams, a few shouts and knew no more …

*.*.*

'We're just _so_ lucky not to have lost him. If anything happened to him –'

'Vanessa, it's okay. He's fine. There's no point thinking about what could've happened.'

'Yeah … yeah, you're right, Sirius. But still, could you just _imagine_ –'

James heard a delicate squeal.

'Sorry, Lily.'

Upon hearing Lily's name, James began stirring and his eyes fluttered open.

'James!' someone exclaimed.

He quickly linked the voice to the face and smiled painfully at Camilla, who looked sickly pale in the dim-lit Hospital Wing. James looked around at all of them – Alice, Camilla, Lily, Remus, Sirius and Vanessa – and noticed that they _all_ looked sickly pale.

'You guys look like you've just seen a ghost,' James croaked jokingly. He then quickly looked down at himself, just to make sure. 'Phew. You had me there for a moment …'

'How're you feeling?' Camilla asked softly.

James had to think for a moment. His head was pounding and his arms ached, but otherwise, he felt fine.

When he said this, Vanessa replied, 'Gave us a right scare, you did. Right after Madam Hooch blew the whistle for time out, a Bludger to the head … bad luck,' she added with a grimace.

That was when James remembered about –

'The match!' he half-shouted. 'What happened? Who won? How'd it end? Wait, don't answer the last one. Who caught the snitch?'

They all exchanged nervous glances, Camilla's tinted with supressed pride and glee.

'No …' James said, barely whispering. His voice grew louder as he continued, 'No, no, no, no, _no_!'

'Don't worry, mate,' said Sirius grimly. 'We didn't lose by much, which means we're not quite out yet, unless Ravenclaw wins against Hufflepuff.'

'Of course we'll win against Hufflepuff,' said Camilla easily. 'Hufflepuff are too easy.'

'Oh, I don't know about that,' said Sirius dubiously. 'You guys are quite well-matched with Hufflepuff. This should be good … If you lose against Hufflepuff, we come up against them and we win. That trophy is ours this year; good, as well, as it's our last year in old Hogwarts.'

'Don't worry, James, it _wasn't_ your fault,' said Remus firmly, as Camilla and Sirius launched into a conversation about Quidditch. 'If anyone's, it was that Cameron Stone's fault for hitting the Bludger when Madam Hooch called time out. A penalty was awarded, if that makes you feel any better.'

James sighed and nodded. 'Thanks, Moony.'

'We'd better get going,' said Vanessa quietly. 'It's almost midnight. We shouldn't be here now, anyway. McGonagall came about an hour ago to check up on you and tell the rest of us to get lost.'

James laughed a little, before realisation hit him a lot like the Bludger had. 'Wait – I'm staying here? Overnight? _Here_?'

'Madam Pomfrey said it was just for tonight,' Vanessa said quickly. 'We'll rescue you as soon as we can, I promise.'

'Thanks,' James smirked.

He closed his eyes, not particularly wanting to watch them leave, despite knowing they had to. Camilla and Remus were first to leave. Vanessa followed, but faltered.

'Aren't you coming, Lils?' Vanessa asked.

'I think I'll stay behind for a bit,' she replied. Her voice was barely a whisper; it was quite alarming.

Vanessa then followed Camilla and Remus.

James opened his eyes again, and saw he was alone in the Hospital Wing with her. A million questions popped into James's mind, the main one being, 'Why?'

'What's up, Flower?' he asked casually, sitting up to find pain.

'Lie back down,' she said. 'You're going to hurt yourself even more.'

'Nah, it's okay,' he said easily. 'Are you all right?'

'I should be asking you that,' said Lily shakily, her breathing becoming uneven.

''Course, I am,' James smiled. 'Takes more than a Bludger and a fall to keep me down.'

'That's what scares me,' said Lily softly, looking directly into James's eyes. 'What if, next time, it's something more?'

James was all prepared to ask Lily if there was going to be a next time, when he saw she was serious. Before he could say anything, she continued.

'I'm sorry, James,' she sniffed. 'For what I said before. I spend far too much time being mad at you. I just kept going over in my head that the last words I spoke to you were the bitterest of bitter words. If you weren't here now, I would _not_ be able to live with myself and –'

James put a finger to her lips. 'Hey, hey, hey. Don't talk like that. It's okay now, everything's fine. There's no point in thinking about what could've been. I'm fine … well, I'll be all right. What did I do to make you mad at me, anyway?' he asked, pulling Lily close into a one-armed hug before realising his arm hurt more than he thought it did.

'It's stupid, really,' Lily spoke into his chest. 'I wanted to get Flitwick's essay done and over with the other day, but Sirius had my Charms textbook. I couldn't find him, so I decided to go to the library under your Cloak in case you thought I was spying on you. I heard you and Camilla say some stuff about me, and it just … kind of got to me. I know it shouldn't have, but it did.'

A look of painful triumph flashed across James's face for a brief moment, but was completely missed by Lily, who reluctantly pulled herself away from James before saying, with prominent pain in her voice, 'I know you don't really like me, and you don't have to pretend you do. I'll just make things easier for both of us and keep away from you. You don't have to try to be nice to me out of pity. But thanks, James. For everything. You've really … showed me a side to things I've never seen before.' With that, Lily sighed and stood up.

'Hold on a second, Lily, I have a confession,' James began.

But when she turned around, it was to silence him with a hand. 'I already know, James. Goodnight. Hope you get well soon.'

'Wait, Lily –'

But she had already left. And another figure, unnoticed until now, came out of the shadows.

'You did that on purpose,' Sirius said accusingly. 'You did all of it deliberately. You made sure she heard whatever it was you had to say in the library. Why would you do that? Why did you choose to break her heart like that?'

'She can't fall in love with me,' James said extremely quietly. 'Not when she could do so much better than me. I'm no good for her. I had to break her heart; she wouldn't have separated herself from me for any other reason. Besides, I have Camilla. I know I can make something work with her.'

'Really? Even when you leave school at the end of this year, you'll be able to bear Camilla being with all the other boys of Hogwarts?'

'Yeah,' said James quickly.

'Mate …' Sirius began, sighing and covering his face with hands briefly; when he did this, James knew he was going to say something from his heart. 'I don't know much about love. I wasn't brought up in that kind of household, you know that. Mum and Dad must've seen each other once before their wedding day. And Regulus? Yeah, we have some huge brotherly love thing going on …' he laughed humourlessly. 'Anyway, what I'm trying to say is … anyone who can make sacrifices for another and not even think twice about themselves … yeah, that sounds like love to me. If you put that much thought into what was best for Lily, don't you think that makes you worthy of her?'

James had to admit to himself, Sirius had really outdone himself. 'There are plenty of worthier wizards out there for her. Heck, even Muggles. There are just so many people out there. Why me?'

'She did a real good job on you,' Sirius commented, surveying his friend and sounding surprised. 'Well, I think she might have deflated your head just a little too much, truth be told. If you're willing to give her up for her own good, surely that makes you worthy of her. And what wizards are you talking about? Oh, you mean boys like Downs or even me?'

James couldn't help but laugh slightly. 'But that's another point. Lily picked Downs. She has a habit of choosing what's bad for her, and she practically chose me.'

'Downs chose _her_,' Sirius corrected. 'She just couldn't say no. But you, you gave her a choice – she could accept you or walk away –'

'And she just walked away,' said James a little firmly.

'Because you lied to her –'

'Because she knows I'm trouble,' James corrected.

'She's a clever witch, Prongs,' said Sirius. 'She learns from her mistakes. I bet she knows you're not one of them. She even said you showed her a different side to life. Don't tell me you're no good for her.'

'Forget it, Sirius,' James said lowly. 'I don't want her.'

'That's a lie and you know it,' snapped Sirius. 'Some guys would do anything to have a friend like Lily and you –'

'We keep falling out,' said James, stretching the truth a little far.

'Because you keep creating misunderstandings between each other.'

Sirius exhaled heavily and flipped his hair. James knew that when he did this without any girls being around, he was seriously thinking.

'I can't force the two of you to just mush together, as much as I wish I could,' he said finally. 'Heck, for all I know, you could actually be happy with Camilla and Lily might just still be wishing she had Downs back. But we're all pretty certain the two of you were meant to be.'

'I don't know,' said James sceptically. 'I have a strong feeling about Camilla. It's like we have an unexplained spark. Almost like _we _were meant to be, like it was written in the stars or something. I always knew I should've taken Divination … deep down inside … _way_ deep down inside …'

Sirius laughed slightly. 'My only hope is that the stars rearrange themselves in time then,' he said. 'Before you and Camilla actually become something, or before Lily thinks anything more about moving on.'

'So she _could_ move on,' said James triumphantly.

'She could pretend to,' Sirius shrugged. 'It's hard to forget your first love,' he added, sounding as though he spoke from experience.

Just then, the two turned their heads upon hearing some shuffling sounds coming from Madam Pomfrey's office.

'Whatever choice you make, just know I'll be supporting you,' said Sirius quickly. 'And don't forget, "If you love someone, set them free; if they come back, it was meant to be. If they continue to fly, let them soar; have faith that there's something better in store."'

And with that, he left.

James sometimes hated it when Sirius was deep. Sirius's moments of deepness would never be in James's favour, and would give him a lot to think about. So much was his thought load that that night that he slipped into a very strange dream.

Everything was an ivory colour; the seemingly never-ending room with a single window with white panes and flowing ivory curtains. Even the clothes James was wearing matched. He was holding a small dove with emerald eyes. It was an extremely delicate dove, and James knew he had to let it go. It didn't belong with him. He didn't want to release the dove. A part of him was fighting with the rest of him as he edged closer to the window and opened it.

He then whispered to the dove, 'I'm sorry. I have to do this. For you. You deserve to be out in the open. You have wings, you can fly away. You don't have to stick around with me.'

He then sat the dove on the outside windowsill and encouraged her to fly. She was very reluctant, but eventually took off into the pale orangey white sky, leaving James wondering if he'd ever see her again, even secretly wishing he would. He didn't have long to wonder, for he saw something moving towards him, flapping its wings.

The dove had returned. It had to be the same one – how many doves have eyes that green?

'No, you silly bird,' James moaned. 'You're supposed to fly away, because you have it in your abilities to do that. Why do you want to be with me, stuck in the boring indoors?'

A voice out of nowhere replied:

'_If you love someone, set them free; if they come back, it was meant to be. If they continue to fly, let them soar; have faith that there's something better in store.'_

James smiled and held the dove closer.

He awoke the next morning, feeling cleansed. His dream felt more like an epiphany, a revelation of some sort, and he felt he had a clearer idea of what to do next. He could afford to take his time, because some things were just meant to be, and if they were, they could spare time.

* * *

Saturday 18th February 1978


	30. Crushed, Crushed and Crushed Again

- Chapter Thirty -

~ Crushed, Crushed and Crushed Again ~

Vanessa stayed true to her word and rescued James as soon as she could from the Hospital Wing the next day, with the excuse that she needed his help with her Defence Against the Dark Arts essay.

'So … to the library we go,' James smirked once they were out.

'Shut up,' Vanessa said. 'You know I only lied to get you out of there.'

James merely laughed.

Vanessa observed him carefully. 'You seem in a better mood than yesterday by far,' she concluded wisely.

'Yeah … life is sweet,' James said happily, looking around the castle as if he had never seen it before.

'How hard did that Bludger _hit_ you?' said Vanessa, flabbergasted. 'We _lost_ against _Ravenclaw_. Why are you so happy?'

'Because …' James said, smiling. He turned to Vanessa and said, 'I think I'm in love.'

'I told you that months ago,' said Vanessa softly, smiling in return.

'You did,' said James lightly.

'What brought this on?'

James laughed slightly. 'Well … Sirius.'

'_Black_?'

'Yeah, that one. We had a … a deep chat last night after you guys left the Hospital Wing.'

'I wondered where he went,' said Vanessa mildly. 'So … what are you going to do now?'

'Talk to Lily, talk to Camilla and then talk to Lily again,' said James.

'Sounds like a plan,' said Vanessa, sounding amused. 'Can we go down for breakfast first, please? I'm so hungry.'

'How come you didn't breakfast before?'

'Well … I said I'd come ASAP, and here I am,' Vanessa said brightly. 'Lily and the rest have gone down already. Ooh, I can't wait for post … Mum should be sending me some sweeties. I'm so spoilt.'

'Vanessa, a few sweets doesn't make you spoilt,' James chuckled. 'Whining to get what you want, pushing people about and expecting everyone to bow down to you is _spoilt_. I can't believe myself. Lily was so right about me.'

'She's always right,' said Vanessa admiringly, as they reached the Entrance Hall, which was littered with students who had just had breakfast.

Almost as soon as she said that, a girl in a dark green hoody accidentally bumped into Vanessa.

'Sorry,' the girl sniffed, not stopping.

'It's okay,' Vanessa smiled.

'Why was that girl's hood up?' James said in an undertone when they had reached the Great Hall. 'I mean, we're indoors and everything …'

'Youthful Hogwartian fashion,' Vanessa said, shrugging. 'I swear these people get weirder every year.'

James took a look at the Gryffindor table. He saw Alice and Cassie, and he saw Remus and Sirius, but he didn't see Lily.

'That's strange,' Vanessa said lightly, taking a seat next to Alice opposite Sirius. 'I swear Lily said she would come down after getting dressed. James has some news for her, as well,' she added, her lips twitching.

'Oh, she did,' said Alice innocently. 'She dressed up and everything. I chose her outfit today. I was feeling happy, so I dressed her colourfully, in greens and blues. I thought that –'

'Cut to it, Alice,' said Vanessa flatly. 'Where did she go?'

'I'm not sure,' Alice said carelessly, and Vanessa could tell she was swinging her legs under the table. 'It all started when we decided to come down here for breakfast. She was perfectly fine and we all were –'

'She just got a letter and walked off,' said Cassie lowly. 'Didn't say where she was going or anything … just slipped on her hood and sloped off. I'll guess that she went outside. It looks like it might rain and everything,' she added, looking up at the sky in the Great Hall; there were dark grey thunder clouds which added to the gloomy atmosphere.

James caught Vanessa's eye, and he knew they were thinking the same thing: could the girl in the green hoody have been Lily?

'What's up, Prongs?' Sirius said casually, stuffing his face in with bacon.

'Real attractive, Black,' Vanessa snorted.

'Oo'd 'ink so woul'n't 'oo?' said Sirius.

'Cut it out,' James said, laughing a little.

'… normally quite a cheery girl,' Slughorn was saying softly to McGonagall as the two made their way to the teacher's table. 'Whatever could have happened -?'

'She has been a bit off these past few days –'

'Dumbledore might know if it's something to do with home,' said Slughorn.

'We really should step in as it's interfering with her studies …'

James had the funniest feeling this wasn't good. He tried ignoring it, anyway; he was still enlightened by his epiphany-like dream, and nothing to diminish the overwhelming feeling. He helped himself to some toast and joined in with the conversation cheerfully; this time, they were talking about if it was possible to naturally produce beef-flavoured bacon and if such a thing existed. Expectedly, Alice started the conversation.

On their way out of the Great Hall, plenty of Gryffindors clapped James on the back for the match the day before, and many Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws asked him if he was feeling better, which he was, largely thanks to Madam Pomfrey's amazing remedies.

As Cassie had predicted, it rained later on, putting James and Sirius off the idea of flying, which Vanessa was secretly pleased about. Although the girls and the boys sat in separate corners of the Gryffindor common room, it still felt good to her knowing he was there. She felt she would never admit this to him. Alice wanted to do Vanessa's nails in neon colours, while Cassie complained about what a waste of time the day would be. Meanwhile, the boys set to planning a welcome back prank on Peter, whenever he was to return. All the while they were planning, James's thoughts strayed to Lily, wherever she was, whatever she was doing, whenever she would be back, and how he was to convey what he wanted to tell her. Sirius was trying to be helpful, suggesting flowers (which squirted water) and chocolates (spiked with love potion), but James was highly doubtful they would help him show her he was a changed boy.

It didn't matter much anyway, for Lily didn't turn up. Lunch came and went, and there was still no sign of her.

'You don't reckon she's avoiding you, do you?' Sirius asked solemnly.

'Really hope not,' said James disappointedly. 'We came to a mutual agreement type thing. She wouldn't bother me and I wouldn't bother her.'

'Maybe she knew you were gonna bother her.'

'Really, Sirius?' James said doubtfully.

'I mean it,' he replied. 'The girl's a psychic, I swear. Last year, she almost always put a stop to my pranks before I got round to pulling them – how did she even know what I was gonna do or when and where I was gonna do it?'

'Sirius, last year you were _always_ trying to pull a prank,' James smirked. 'Doesn't take a psychic to know that.'

'But still,' he said. 'Don't you always feel like she can see right through you?'

'Like those bright green eyes can read every thought that's going through your mind?' said James dreamily. 'Yeah. I get that a lot. But I haven't seen her today, anyway. Well, not her face.'

'What if she overheard our conversation last night?'

'I highly doubt that, as well,' said James. 'You said she only stalked off after reading a letter, right?'

'Right,' said Sirius slowly.

'So what if the letter was from, I don't know, Downs or someone?' James said, fear invading his tone. 'A love letter?'

'Why would he send her a love _letter_?'

'Girls like that, right?' said James quickly. 'Well, Lily does.'

'If she does, she did not like any of yours …' Sirius said quietly, but loud enough for James to hear.

He slapped his arm in retaliation.

'Ow! Prongs! I was just stating a fact!'

'Don't particularly need that now, Sirius,' said James darkly. He then stood up and stretched. 'I want some air,' he said.

'You make it sound like we're being suffocated,' he replied flatly.

'F – f – feel it,' he said, yawning. 'Later, mate. Try not to knock anyone out while I'm gone,' he added.

'Dang. Plan foiled. Moony …!' James heard Sirius say, before he closed the portrait behind him, shaking his head and smiling slightly.

James left the castle to roam the fields alone, despite the rain. On his way down, he had to keep hiding or turning away from students who he felt might try talking to him about yesterday's match, and he wished he had had the sense to bring his Invisibility Cloak.

He found a certain someone sitting by the lake who drove all thoughts irritableness away from his mind.

*.*.*

'Sirius, you're a nice person and everything, but _get lost_,' said Alice vehemently. 'It's nothing personal; you're just an extremely annoying person to know and be in the company of. Now let Vanessa's nails dry unless _you_ want to be painted in neon colours.'

'Hey, all I did to her was –'

'Right, I have bright greens, yellows, oranges and pinks,' said Alice. 'Which ones are your least favourite?'

'Probably, I don't know, all of them,' Sirius grinned. 'They're highly unappealing colours – what warthog would buy them?'

Alice's jaw dropped. 'Right. _That's_ it!'

She began rolling up her sleeves when Vanessa rubbed her arm and soothingly said, 'Don't worry, Al, I've got this.' She then turned to Sirius and said, 'Right. _That's_ it!' and begun rolling up her sleeves.

She uncapped the pink and orange bottles of nail varnish and brandished the brushes in Sirius's face.

'Uh … you'd better start running,' Remus advised.

'Yeah …' said Sirius, before sprinting in the opposite direction to which he was facing.

Vanessa was quick to follow, which wasn't hard – more students gave her room than they did Sirius. He ran through the portrait hole and out of the common room, along the seventh-floor corridor and down the stairs.

Vanessa being Vanessa chased him still, promising herself not to give up until he was painted in bright colours, but, almost as soon as she got down the stairs, she lost him. She tip-toed down the corridor, knowing Sirius had to be there somewhere. And, as if she were using magic, she turned into the next classroom she saw and found him.

'AHA!' she said.

She ran up to him and almost got his face when his hands found her wrists. Her strength fought against his and she got two stripes on his cheeks – one pink, the other orange.

He chuckled loudly.

'OH, you …!'

His grip still on her wrists, he made her paint her face with a stripe on both cheeks, matching Sirius's.

'Sirius!' she shrieked.

She fought against his tight grip again, but all she managed to do was stumble and send the two of them to the ground. The next thing she knew, Vanessa was looking up into Sirius's light grey eyes. They were too close.

'Sirius!' she hissed. 'Get off of me! Someone's gonna see!'

'There's no one around,' Sirius said, sounding far from reassuring.

'You're enjoying this, aren't you?' said Vanessa, trying to sound bored, although she was feeling thrilled. She could feel the electricity between them two.

'More than words can express,' said Sirius. 'I have you at my mercy, and you have two … bright … brush things in your hands. I could make you paint yourself up and down.'

'You could,' Vanessa agreed lightly. 'Or you could let me go. I could run off and we could pretend this never happened.'

'Why would I want to do that?' Sirius laughed slightly.

'Because you love me?' She phrased this as if it were a question.

But it had the effect she hoped it would. His fingers unwound around her wrists, and he lifted himself off her, but offered her a hand to get her up. She took it happily, holding the nail polish lids in one hand.

'Thanks,' she said brightly.

She then realised that they were still too close, and he was still holding her hand. She could see all of the little black lines in his grey irises, and probably could have counted all of his eyelashes if she were bothered. She then became conscious of the fact that he was delicately rubbing circles in the back of her hand.

'Sirius …' Vanessa said, her voice barely a whisper, her eyes holding nothing but trepidation.

'What's wrong?' he whispered back.

'We … we can't,' she said, taking a step back.

'Why not?'

'We just … I can't do this again,' she said, taking a few more steps back. 'I can't go back to that. I can't.'

'Vanessa –!' Sirius shouted after Vanessa's running figure.

She didn't turn around, she didn't even look back. He hadn't expected her to. He let out small sigh of frustration and kicked the nearest table. Cursing the new pain in his foot, he pushed his hair out of his eyes and sighed again, looking at where she had been a moment ago.

*.*.*

'Lils?' James said softly. 'What are you doing out here? It's cold and wet and raining.'

The redhead looked up from underneath her hood, making more raindrops tickle down her cheeks and drip off her chin.

He sat down next to her as she was saying, 'Oh, you know … just wanted to clear my head and stuff.'

James noticed how she clutched onto a piece of paper all the time. It didn't seem to be getting wet, unlike himself and Lily.

'Something wrong?' James asked. 'I didn't see you at breakfast this morning or at lunch.'

'James, remember what we said about you not having to pretend to be my friend?' she said gently.

'I just think you should know, Lily,' said James quietly, 'I wasn't pretending. I really care about you, and I know some part of you – no matter how deeply hidden – knows that. Please. I can tell something's up and it hurts me seeing you upset. Think of it as doing me a favour, if not doing yourself a favour … for a change.'

'Well, it's just that …' Lily began thickly, sniffing a lot, 'today I got news that …'

It could've been a while for her to say what she had to say. James could tell she wasn't upset over anything petty. Without speaking, he took her in his arms, and felt her shake with supressed sobs. He rubbed her back, thinking about all of the horrible things that could have happened to make her be this way.

She pulled away from him after a few minutes and, without looking at him, handed him the piece of paper. It was impervious to rain, as James had suspected, and it looked odd … it was pure white, none of the yellow tinge that was found with parchments. Some of the words were blotchy, seeming tear-stained. On the paper read the words:

_Lily,_

_I have some news for you, and there's no easy way for me to write this down. You mean the world to your mother and I, never doubt that. We've always been proud of you in every step of your life, and we always will be, no matter what happens to us or where you might go._

_Well, your mother's left us for good. I'm sure the world she has gone to is better than the world we are at, and I'm certain of the fact that she still holds a lot of love for you and your sister. I know her memories will always be with us, and in this, we must find the strength and courage to go on. I have faith in your strength, and I'm sure your mother did, as well._

_The funeral shall be held on the following Wednesday. I will arrange something with your Headmaster._

_See you soon, I promise._

_Love,_

_Dad_

James was lost for words. He reread the letter twice before turning to the girl beside him. Her face was carefully composed, although a little pale. Such was her composure that no one would have guessed something so big had been crushed upon her.

'Lily …' he whispered, still somewhat lost for words. All thoughts of proclaiming his undying love for her had abandoned him. 'I'm sorry. I really am. I wish there was something I could say to make this better, but …' James broke off.

Once again, he embraced Lily tightly, hoping she would understand all of the things he couldn't bring himself up to say. She must have comprehended, for she hugged him back just as tight, which James thought reflected her strength.

'It's okay to cry, you know,' he told her when they broke apart. She was too composed – it unnerved him.

'I have to be a source of courage for my family,' Lily breathed. 'For Dad. Petunia's pretty useless at that kind of stuff, see,' she added with a small laugh. 'Actually, she's pretty useless at a lot of things …'

'You need your time to bereave,' James said. 'Talk to me.'

'I miss her already,' Lily sniffed. 'I can't believe how infrequently I would write to her! I feel so bad about it now. What kind of a daughter am I? I say I love her, and can't make the time to keep in touch with her.'

'You would write to her loads,' said James.

'Once a fortnight just isn't enough,' said Lily, her voice steadily rising octaves at a time.

'You didn't see this coming,' said James firmly. He took her hand and began playing with her cold fingers.

'I should have,' Lily said coldly. 'I know she's had a few heart problems and stuff … I'm a witch, for crying out loud. Surely I should have seen this coming. I could've been able to warn her and maybe something could have been done about it. But no. Why didn't I take Divination?'

'Because Professor Trance can knock you into a deep sleep just by wishing you a good morning and telling you what you'll be doing in class.'

'Oh, yeah …' said Lily, smiling. 'How long does the pain last, James?'

He knew she was talking about the grieving, rather than putting up with Trance, as he had initially thought. 'The pain doesn't go away,' he said softly. 'We just learn to live with it.'

'This year was supposed to be the best year yet,' Lily was saying, more to herself than to him. 'But no. First you become Head Boy – no offence – and then we lose Aaliyah … then there are the vampire attacks … then Jason and then Mum. Oh, and then there's nearly dying in between all of those events.'

'My becoming Head Boy really contributed with the ruining of your year?' James said, shocked.

Lily laughed slightly. 'Well, yeah, back then – when I found out. I was expecting someone like Remus to be chosen. And then there was you … But, don't worry, I'm not so affected now. Actually, you've kind of grown on me a little, and I'm sort of grateful to, you know …' she said, looking embarrassed.

'To have met an amazing person like me,' he finished for her.

She grinned. 'More or less.' She sighed deeply.

'Listen, if there's anything I can do for you,' James said sincerely, '_anything_ at all, just let me know.'

'Thanks,' said Lily, her lips twitching. 'But right now, all I really want is my diary. I've looked for that thing everywhere in our dormitory. It seems to have gone for walkies.'

'Well, I can be your walking, talking diary until you find your boring non-walking, non-talking diary,' James offered jokingly, looking guilt-free.

Lily laughed. 'Thanks, James, but there are some things I need to write in my diary that I wouldn't ever dream of telling you. Not straight to your face, anyway.'

James had to work to look mildly confused, which was difficult because he thought he knew exactly what she might have been referring to, and the thought made him blush ever so slightly. And James suddenly remembered why he had wanted to find her in the first place. But he couldn't talk to her about it now, not when she was so hurt. He would wait. He has waited years already; he could wait a few more weeks. Anything for Lily.

* * *

Sunday 19th February 1978

**A/N: Thank you guys for all of the amusing and awesome reviews last chapter! (:**


	31. Chaos

**Disclaimer: Same as the last thirty chapters.**

**A/N: A little early than I'd planned, because all of your reviews are just _so_ amusing :3 Spot any mistakes as there're sure to be – tell me. Enjoy!**

* * *

- Chapter Thirty-one -

~ Chaos ~

In went the black t-shirt and out went the long scarlet one. Out went the black t-shirt and back in went the red. She threw in a pair of converses and some dark skinny jeans and a pretty skirt, decorated with flowers. Then she took the dark skinny jeans out and put in some normal dark jeans. She put in her dark leather-look jacket and threw out her snow-coloured woollen one. In went her rosy night dress and midnight high heels and black boots. And then her boots were chucked out once again.

Lily hated packing. Normally, her mother would do it for her. It was high time she grew up and did things by herself. She sighed at the thought. She felt her period of bereavement was going to be long.

The dormitory door flung open, just as Lily put in the last item: the same long- and flowing-sleeved black dress Lily had worn to Aaliyah's funeral, the one she loathed for hugging her figure so tightly.

'Where are you going?' Vanessa asked, frowning.

It had barely been under a few hours that Lily had found out the terrible news. She hadn't really seen her friends. James had led her out of the freezing rain and into the inexplicable warmth. He snuck her into the common room without attracting much attention, and she speed walked upstairs with her hood up.

'Nowhere,' said Lily lightly.

'Oh, sure, you just pack your bags and head out for nowhere whenever you feel like it,' Vanessa laughed. 'Hold up a sec!' she said, sitting down on her bed. 'Are _running away_? Is it _that_ bad here for you?'

It was Lily's turn to laugh, although it was quite forced. 'No, it's just that … well, Mum's a bit ill, and she asked me to come down and see her.'

'That sounds like such a Remus thing to say,' said Vanessa airily.

'No, really,' Lily continued, with her fingers crossed tightly behind her back. She had a habit of doing this every time she lied.

'Oh …' Vanessa gasped. 'I'm so sorry. I really hope she gets better, Lils.'

'Thanks,' she replied, smiling painfully.

'How long do you think you'll be gone for?'

'About a week,' she said, smiling again.

'But it's work experience week next week,' Vanessa said, shocked.

'Yeah … so you won't have to spend too much time missing me,' she said with a wink.

'Regrettably.'

'Ha ha,' said Lily sarcastically. 'Off to Hogsmeade now.' She zipped up her bag and pulled on the handle, dumping it on the floor.

'Why?' Vanessa asked.

'I have to Apparate home,' Lily said.

'Why can't you do it from here?' Vanessa asked curiously.

Lily sighed heavily; Vanessa liked this sigh – it meant she was about to get lectured. 'Vanessa – haveyou _ever_ read _Hogwarts: A History_?'

'Didn't get round to it …' she mumbled.

'If you did, you would know you can't Apparate in and out of Hogwarts. There're too many enchantments. Besides, James said we can go get some Butterbeer before I go, you know, just for fun. Not like a date or anything …'

'Oh … that's a good idea, I guess,' she said. 'Wait, James asked you out?'

'Not like a _date_,' she repeated with a little emphasis. 'Besides, he has Camilla. And I wouldn't want to get between that. They kind of go together.'

Lily took out her wand from the inside of her knee-high boots. She twirled her wrist and flicked her wand whilst saying, '_Wingardium leviosa_.'

Her suitcase was lifted in the air by an invisible force, and followed the direction of her wand out of the dormitory, down the stairs and into the common room.

Alice and Cassie were almost instantly by Lily's side, the former exploding with questions that weren't to be answered.

'Alice, I really think that's enough,' James laughed, walking over to them with his two friends by his side.

'Flower's moving onto bigger and better things,' said Sirius, dramatically sighing and holding a hand to his heart, while using his other hand to wipe away a non-existent tear.

'Shut up, Sirius,' Lily laughed.

'I really will miss you, Lils,' Vanessa wailed. 'I know it's just a week, but this lot will drive me _insane_. So _please_ write. Even if it's just once; I want to hear from you.'

'Of course I'll write, Ness,' said Lily kindly.

'Just not to you,' Sirius added casually.

Lily and James simultaneously whacked Sirius's arm.

'Double ow! Why are you people so obsessed with my arms?'

Remus shook his head. 'Because they're so attractive,' he said sardonically.

'Well, I have been working out …'

'_Any_way,' said Lily, 'see you guys in a week,' she said sweetly. James had to admire how perfectly poised she was.

'I'll get your bag for you,' James said quickly, reaching for his wand. 'This thing weighs a ton!' he exclaimed upon levitating it. 'You're only going for a week right?'

'_Only_?' Vanessa groaned. 'It's gonna be a long week for some of us …'

'Yeah,' said James quietly. 'Let us leave. Hogsmeade awaits.'

'I forgot how much I love long and meaningful walks,' said Lily before waving goodbye to her friends and heading out with James.

'I could take my own bag, you know,' she said.

'Or I could cut you some slack for a change and take it for you,' said James in a deep voice.

'What is it with you guys and chivalry?' Lily asked, sounding amused as they headed down the stairs.

'You don't like it?'

'Not when it _has_ to be done,' said Lily. 'You know, like when someone feels they have to do it, because society says so.'

'I do it because –' James broke off. _I'm kind of into you_, he finished off in his head.

'Yes, James?' she said, honestly innocent.

'I do it because it feels like the right thing to do, you know?'

'Wow,' said Lily, pretending to be mildly surprised. 'So you _do_ have morals.'

'You make me sound boring,' James joked.

'No,' she replied lightly, 'just idealistic.'

'So you like a guy with morals?' he grinned.

'Over a boy who goes around sucking other girls' necks, yeah,' she said quietly before taking a deep breath. 'Anyways … what's up with the Butterbeer treat?'

James shrugged. 'Ah … you know, it's gonna be the last time you'll see me for a while. I know how much you'll miss me.'

'Can't find the words to express myself,' she said flatly, although jokingly at the same time.

'I understand, I understand,' he said.

'Now _you_ tell me how much you're gonna miss _me_,' Lily said, skipping slightly and grinning from ear to ear.

James jogged to catch up with her in the corridor.

'Can't find the words to express myself,' he echoed.

'Oh, come up with something more original,' Lily laughed.

'How's this for original,' he said. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face Lily, pulling her hands so she was facing him. Her suitcase fell to the stone floor, but neither of them paid any attention. He began playing with her fingers as he seemed to do quite a bit.

'Lily Evans,' he said quietly, 'in our week apart, I will miss you more than you could ever know or even hope to understand. I'll be spending nights sighing and wishing you were here next to me, and days doodling your initials on parchment over and over. Work with Moody tomorrow and the day after that and the seemingly endless days afterwards are going to be hell without you.'

'They're pretty much hell, anyway,' Lily smirked.

'Hell's not all that bad when you have an angel by your side,' he said, his voice barely a whisper.

The intensity with which he stared at her made her breath catch in her throat. She felt she could look into those clear, hazel eyes and see the truth he wanted to say which she once had trouble accepting. It could have been minutes that they were standing there for while he continued to play with her fingers. They were only brought back to reality when the _clang_ of his wand dropping to the ground made the two of them jump and break apart.

'Wow,' Lily said breathlessly. 'That felt so … real. I'm beginning to envy Camilla if that's the kind of treatment she gets. W-o-w.'

'Yeah,' James said offhandedly, running a hand through his hair. 'So … uh, we'd better get going.'

'Yes! Yeah … get going … Hogsmeade.'

An awkward silence settled upon them as they finally made it down to the Entrance Hall, where they bumped into Camilla and some of her sixth-year friends who had just finished their lunch.

'Hey,' James said to her, catching her around the waist and spinning her around.

'James!' she shrieked and giggled and put her arms around him.

Her friends waited for her by the stairs, while Lily awkwardly stood by herself.

'Hi, Lils,' she greeted brightly.

'Hey, Camilla,' said Lily kindly.

'Going somewhere?' she asked, eyeing Lily and the suitcase he had just dropped.

'Erm, yeah, Lily's going back home for a week,' James smiled, glancing over at Lily. 'I'm just trying to help out.'

'Aww, that's so sweet,' Camilla said. They rubbed noses and kissed.

'Mills!' her friends called.

'One sec!' Camilla called back. 'Lily … I kind of wanted to talk to you for a moment,' she said shyly. 'In private,' she added pointedly.

'All right,' said James. Still holding on to Camilla, he turned and loudly whispered to her friends, 'Guys, go away!'

Camilla and Lily laughed, as the former broke away and approached the latter. James sloped off outside with Lily's suitcase.

'Something up, Camilla?' she asked lightly.

'No, no,' she replied. 'Well, yes. I know this shouldn't get to me, and I'm going to come off weirdly, creepily obsessive, but –'

'There is absolutely _nothing_ between me and James,' said Lily kindly. 'But I understand why you'd ask. Or try to.'

Camilla giggled slightly. 'Thanks, Lils. It's not that I don't trust you guys, but, well, everyone knows he used to have a thing for you.'

She made the redhead's cheeks match her hair. 'If there was _really_ anything there, it's all dead and gone, buried in the past …'

Lily reached out a hand and patted Camilla's arm friendlily, before turning around and walking off towards James.

'Wait, Lily!' Camilla said, running after her. She smiled quickly at James, who was standing right next to Lily. 'Keep this between us two?' she asked.

'Of course,' she said warmly. 'And Camilla,' she said quietly, 'he's a keeper. Don't let go of him.'

Camilla nodded and wandered off back to her friends.

'Really, Lily?' said James as they began their route to Hogsmeade. 'I'm really a Keeper?'

'Yeah,' she smiled.

'I always thought I played Chaser,' he joked, although Lily could tell there was something more underneath his words.

'Oh, shut up, James,' she said.

Just then, a voice came into James's head.

_Wow, Prongs, you can play all four positions on the pitch. You Keep the one you didn't Seek and you're Beating down the one you're supposed to Chase. What's wrong with you?_

James shook his head, as if he were shaking Sirius's words out of his head.

Lily stared at him.

'Umm … fly … buzzing around …' he mumbled.

'Right …'

They continuously joked around until they got to Hogsmeade and were in the warmth of the Three Broomsticks.

'James Potter?' Madam Rosmerta said, walking over to them in her glittery heels. 'James Potter without Sirius Black? Is it the end of the world already?'

James laughed slightly. 'There's still time for him to make an entrance, Madam Rosmerta. You know Sirius, he likes making a show.'

'Yes, he does, doesn't he?' said Rosmerta, somewhat dreamily. 'What can I get the two of you, anyway?'

'Two Butterbeers, please,' said James.

'Coming right up,' she said sweetly, walking away.

Lily was pleased to see James's eyes didn't follow Rosmerta as they normally would have.

'Are you going to be all right?' James asked seriously in his alluringly deep voice.

'I'll be fine,' she said softly. 'You don't have to worry about a thing. Honestly,' she added, when he didn't look convinced, 'I'll have Jesse.'

'_Who_? Ah, thanks, Rosmerta,' he said to the barmaid, adding a cheeky wink.

Rosmerta giggled and blushed. 'Any time, James.'

'How do you have that effect on the ladies?' Lily asked in an undertone as Rosmerta walked away.

'It's a gift,' said James, suppressing laughter at the way Lily had told him he had a way with the ladies. 'Now tell me – who's Jesse?'

Lily sipped some of her Butterbeer. 'He's the cutest thing _ever_,' she said thoughtfully, looking distant. 'I look forward to holidays because of him. He's so huggable and warm and I can just snuggle with him at night and –'

'_Who_ is Jesse?'

He took a swig of his Butterbeer.

'He's actually our neighbour,' she said lightly, making James slop some of his Butterbeer on his top.

'_Jesse's your neighbour_?'

'Yeah. He's kind of cheeky. I sometimes think he prefers my place to his. He sneaks out at night when his owners are asleep.'

'Owners?'

'Yeah,' said Lily, her forehead creasing. She looked at James. 'Jesse's just a cat, you know.'

James's mouth formed a perfect 'o'. 'Oh, right. That's … cute.'

Lily's jaw dropped. '_You _… you thought Jesse was a – my – a – James, that is _sick_!'

'You led me on,' James accused.

'Oh, so now it's _my _fault,' said Lily, sitting back and giving James a take-that-back look.

'I'm sorry,' James grinned. 'I was thinking those, uh, activities seemed unLily-like.'

'You thought correct,' she replied somewhat coldly.

He knew he had to change the subject. 'If you had a pet, what would it be and what would you name them?'

Lily's expression softened a little. 'I'd probably stick with Jesse.'

'Cats are so boring,' he groaned.

'They're cuddly,' Lily smiled. 'All animals are kind of cute, so I'm not that fussy. I wouldn't like a frog or a snake as my favourite pet, though.'

'What about a stag?' James asked, leaning in.

'A stag?' she said, leaning in as well. 'Stag's are pretty cool. Odd pet, but still cool. Know where we can get one?'

'Maybe,' James smirked, leaning in further.

'Please tell all, O' Great One,' she replied, imitating him and leaning in even more. 'And we're talking about an actual stag, not an Animagus.'

They appeared to be having another silent staring contest, an intense one. They were so close that Lily could smell his cologne … and she liked it. She was beginning to wish he could be there at the funeral; it would be great to have someone who she didn't have to put up a front with.

'Uh …' said Lily suddenly. 'I should get going …'

'We,' James corrected. 'I'll be taking your suitcase, still.'

Lily wasn't bothered to argue. They stepped out of the Three Broomsticks. Lily linked her fingers with James's as he took her bag, and she Apparated them to her house.

They were in the living room of the Evans' residence, and it was completely empty; quite a contrast to how Lily had expected it to be. The creamy white sofas appeared untouched, and the matching curtains weren't even turned. It was, however, so spotless that Lily could have easily believed her mother was still around with her obsessive cleaning habits.

James dropped her suitcase on the lavishly carpeted floor and took one long look at Lily. She stared back at him with trembling lips. James couldn't fight the impulse to wrap reassuring arms around her, hold her tightly and tell her everything was going to be all right eventually.

'You're … you're right,' Lily said when they broke apart, trying to sound peppy. 'It can only get better from here. I really hope you guys can manage fine without me,' she added sympathetically, 'especially you. What with Sirius and Heads' duties … I really am sorry.'

She spotted the expression of terror flash on his face.

'But, I mean, it's only a week that I'll be gone,' she quickly amended. 'And that week's gonna go by real fast. You know, like lightning. One blink and it's gone. Poof! Vanish.'

'It's okay, Lils,' said James, trying to smile. 'We'll be fine. You just focus on things here. And … I really hope things get better for you.'

Lily inhaled deeply. 'Thanks, James.'

As if reading her mind, he said, 'Listen, I will be there for you on Wednesday. I know McGonagall will let me off for a bit of Wednesday – support, you know. You won't have to do this alone.'

'Thank you,' she said tearfully, although she was smiling.

He gave her a small wave goodbye before he Apparated back to Hogsmeade. No doubt he was hoping to stock up on products from Zonko's joke shop.

Lily laughed to herself.

'Lily? Lily, is that you?' came a screech from upstairs.

She heard thuds down the stairs, and saw her curly haired sister hurtle into the living room and do something Lily would have least expected – she hugged her and began crying on her shoulder. Lily could feel hot tears dripping onto her shoulder. All the bitterness from their last unpleasant goodbye seemed to melt away in light of their new loss.

'I can't believe it, Lils!' Petunia wailed. 'She's gone!'

*.*.*

_Drip, drip, drip._

Rain lashed against the windows of the Gryffindor common room. Sirius found himself curious as to which raindrop would make it first to the bottom of the window. Time was going by too slowly …

He turned his head and stole a glance at the prettily exotic, dark-haired girl across the room, who was sitting mournfully like himself. She caught his stare and blushed slightly, before turning away quickly and striking a conversation with Alice, too animated.

A diversion arrived to Sirius at that point, which he was grateful for, in the form of his best friend. James dodged students on his way to Sirius, weaving in and out, almost dancing.

'Mate, I've got something to tell you, and there's no easy way to say it,' James said in an undertone.

Sirius gasped. 'So you _are_ gay? I _knew _it! No wonder you went off Lily Flower. I totally support you coming out of the closet, Prongs. I'm with you every step of the way.'

'Sirius, that's great and everything,' James began awkwardly, 'but I'm not gay. I can assure you. Hey! What made you think I was, anyway?'

'Nothing, nothing,' he said hastily. 'Go on …'

James shook his head before continuing. 'I might be going to Azkaban.'

There was a moment's silence between the two in which a few first-years' squeals were heard as a nasty green liquid wafted amongst part of the common room. No doubt a possible-Marauder was trying something.

'What do you mean you might be going to Azkaban?' Sirius said darkly.

'Sarah, Peter and that Hufflepuff boy who got attacked – they're in their minds now and they still claim that _I'm_ the vampire. I don't know why, but I have no evidence in my defence. And Lily's gone away, so she can't keep an eye on me.'

'You-are-not-the-vampire. But you weren't even _in_ Hogwarts when Sarah was attacked!'

'Actually, they think she might have gotten attacked days before she was found, which could've been before we broke up,' James said lowly, looking around for any eavesdroppers.

'You can't go to Azkaban! You're _innocent_!'

James smiled slightly. 'You didn't even doubt me for a minute?'

'Not even a second,' Sirius grinned.

They clapped their hands together and hugged for a moment.

'Also,' James said when they broke apart, 'there's been another attack.'

'What? Who now?'

'Holly Hughes. The girl Downs cheated on with Lily. They found her body in a closet of some sort …'

'What does that tell you?' Sirius asked solemnly.

'That Downs is a big, fat, stupid –'

'True, true,' Sirius said casually, 'but he's so _obviously_ the vampire. What is wrong with Peter?'

'Where to begin … but, listen, if I get sent to Azkaban, _no one_ is to find out. Got it? I'm trusting you to keep things cool around here.'

Sirius looked terrified. 'Hogwarts without a Head Boy or Head Girl? Things are going to be pretty chaotic. I'm really hoping you stay.'

'Yeah,' James said, shivering. 'I'd hate to go to Azkaban.'

'What?' William Dowling exclaimed, turning around. 'You're not going to Azkaban, are you? You're not the vampire! There's no way!'

'What?'

'James Potter?'

'_The Vampire_?'

'Never heard such nonsense before!'

'Knew it all along …'

'No, you didn't, shut up.'

Murmurs were spreading across the common room quite quickly.

'Uh … so that worked out great,' James muttered darkly. 'Now everyone knows …'

'But, mate, listen to them,' Sirius said in a hushed voice. 'Most of these guys are on your side. Maybe we can persuade them – whoever "they are" – to not take you away!'

James stared at the eager faces of his fellow Gryffindors, his chest swelling with pride. 'Thanks, guys,' he said, his voice slightly croaky. 'It means a lot to see you all so loyal, but –'

The portrait hole swung open, and in came a figure rarely seen in the common room.

'James Potter,' McGonagall said in her crispy voice, her expression extremely sombre, 'please report to the Headmaster's office immediately.'

* * *

Sunday 19th February 1978

**A/N: The things that happen when Lily goes away for a week… Btw, guys, I know you don't know me personally or anything, but ... I received bad news from the hospital this morning. Please pray for me *Insert Heart Here***


	32. Temporary Farewells

**A/N: Thank you SO much for the kind reviews. Things might not be better, but they sure feel it, so thank you! I honestly can't tell you how much all of your words meant to me. Thanks, guys. I have **_**the best readers**_** on Fanfic.**

**Disclaimer: All credit goes to JKR(:**

* * *

- Chapter Thirty-two -

~ Temporary Farewells ~

'Mr Potter,' said Dumbledore deeply, as James strode into his office.

'Professor Dumbledore, sir,' he replied, 'what's going on?'

There were plenty of unfamiliar wizards stood in the old man's neat office, leaning against walls and on chairs and desks. James didn't like this one bit. The unpleasant feeling in the pit of his stomach told him no good was going to come out of this.

McGonagall shut the door behind her, the _snap_ of it making James jump slightly.

'Jittery, are we, Mr Potter?' the Minister said quietly. 'You have nothing to worry about, dear boy. Please do take a seat.'

The expression this middle-aged man wore suggested otherwise. He actually seemed pleased to see all colour leave James's face.

'What's going on?' James repeated, not sitting down. 'What's all this about?'

'Well, it appears that the victims of the recent and distressing vampire attacks here at Hogwarts stubbornly believe that you have a strong involvement,' the Minister said. 'And I, for one, don't see why they would say that if –'

'I'm not a vampire,' said James quickly.

'I never said you were,' he replied cunningly.

'But I'm not. I mean, I don't look like one. Do I look pale to you? Do I look like I have fangs? You can check if you like –'

'Actually, Mr Potter, you do look rather pale.'

James felt his hands get a little clammy as his heart sunk a little inside. This was it. He was never going to see his mother again, or pull pranks with Sirius, his brother, or proclaim his love to Lily … his life was over.

'Minister, please,' Dumbledore said softly, having finished surveying James. 'I strongly believe James has little to do with any of these horrific attacks. I have watched this boy grow from an eleven-year-old to the man he is now. I don't believe he has the heart to hurt a soul, especially that of his friends.'

'Dumbledore,' the Minister said painfully, 'my hands are tied. He is the only suspect we can hold on to, and, until we find out any more information, discover anything new, he must be locked away.' He then turned to James, who was wide-eyed. 'It is only temporary, if you are not the vampire as you say you are.'

'Don't I get a trial or anything?'

No one answered him.

'I can't go! I have school! I have a life!'

'Yes,' McGonagall said, hastening to James's side. 'The boy is only seventeen and he does extraordinarily well in school. You cannot deprive him of exploring his gift purely because you have no other leads, Minister.'

'The boy is of age,' a Ministry representative snapped. 'This can go down two ways: you make it easy and save our time or we do this the hard way. The choice is yours.'

Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at James uneasily.

'I get it,' said James. 'I'm gone. I'll get these guys off your shoulders.'

'It's only for a while, Mr Potter, please do bear that in mind,' said McGonagall delicately.

'I understand,' said James, smiling ever so slightly.

The Minister clicked his fingers twice and two black-cloaked representatives started towards James, who sharply snapped, 'I can walk by myself, you know,' to make them back off, which they did only too quickly; they did think he was an attacker. He sighed out of frustration.

Even without being held on to by two large, creepy Ministry people, James felt highly humiliated. Students had left their common rooms to watch with disbelieving eyes and open mouths, and the teaching staff were just as shocked, and so didn't tell them all to go back. No one would have believed James Potter could have inflicted serious harm upon another, no matter how many pranks he may have pulled in the past of varying degrees of seriousness.

After a few excruciatingly painful minutes of walking, they were down in the Entrance Hall where James found Remus and Sirius, as well as some other faithful friends.

He stopped and took a long look at his two best friends before Sirius gave James another one-armed hug.

'Won't be long, mate,' Sirius said.

'I hope,' James replied.

'Just know that we're all behind you,' said Remus, when the two had broken apart, and he got his share of James's hugs.

'Of course,' he grinned bravely.

'You're not really going, are you?' sniffed a first-year. James recognised her as the same Gryffindor who had wished him luck for the match yesterday; it felt like weeks ago, though.

'Not for long,' James whispered back, still smiling.

'But why you?' she said sulkily. 'You didn't do anything.'

James shrugged. 'It could just be another game the Ministry's playing. Will you play along?'

The girl nodded, looking more cheered up.

'Atta girl,' he said. He winked and turned back around.

'Wait, James!' Vanessa called, skidding to a stop in front of him. 'What do I tell Lily?'

'Anything but the truth,' said James.

'Can you get scalped by a Hippogriff then?' Vanessa joked.

'Anything that won't worry her,' James amended, grinning again.

'Sure,' Vanessa sighed. 'See you soon,' she said, embracing him.

James hugged her back, patting her hair. 'Yeah, real soon.'

'Come on, already,' a representative snapped.

As they all watched James, Dumbledore, the Minister and some Ministry wizards set off into the cold, dark and wet night, Vanessa couldn't help but think how much worse things could get, while James noticed Camilla was absent in the exchange of the goodbyes.

*.*.*

This was it. It was now _the_ day, the day Lily had been dreading. Today was the day she would have to bid farewell to the peaceful-looking body of her mother. Lily was just so glad James had said he was going to be there.

She stared at herself in the mirror on top of her dressing table. The dark red hair which she had inherited from her mother hung straight and boring. The large black hat she was to wear lay abandoned on her neat bed. Actually, her entire room was tidy in such a way that she knew her mother would be proud.

Lily sighed at her reflection and glanced at her clock. It was nearly two o'clock. She had better start walking to Church for the final service. Plenty of people had shown up at the house for refreshments, speeches about Mrs Evans, and just to talk. But now was the final goodbye. Her nerves were beginning to get the better of her. She stood up and picked up the hat Petunia had rather graciously lent to her.

Tick … tock … tick … tock …

Seconds past, and James hadn't arrived. He was now an hour and a half late. Lily changed her mind about how punctual he normally was. Everyone one else had already left for the Church, and he still hadn't arrived. Hopes still slightly high, she picked up a paper and pen, noting how strange it felt not having to dip the pen in ink. Time-conscious, she scribbled, 'Gone to the Church a few minutes down the road. Should be back in an hour', pinned the note to the front door and began making her way to Church. The others weren't too far ahead of her; she could see her mother's casket, which had flowers attached to the lid.

The weather conditions weren't too bad. The sky was littered with white clouds, and cold gusts of winds occasionally blew, making Lily feel chilly, but it wasn't raining. She couldn't help but think she'd feel a bit warmer if James was around. She shook the thought out of her mind and prepared herself to bravely greet fellow mourners, while pointlessly wishing she had chosen another pair of shoes that were more comfortable.

Lily felt like she was thinking too much – where James was, where her mother had gone, what she was going to do afterwards, how things were at Hogwarts; Vanessa was very quiet in her letters, mostly asking about how Mrs Evans's health was, as she didn't know the woman was no longer alive. She gave Lily the idea that she wasn't the only one hiding things. But all she could do for now was swallow the broken truths.

Before she knew it, they were all gathered around a rectangular hole in the ground and a man in black was reciting words which made little sense to Lily. She caught Petunia burying her face in her father's shoulder, and her father rubbed her back. This made Lily feel lonelier than ever: no Jason, no James, no mother, completely alone and friendless … as if there was anyone left in the world who cared, or like the only one who had cared had finally left.

'… and we hope she rests forever in peace,' the man concluded, waving his hands up.

Mrs Evans's casket was now getting lowered, down … down … down …

'G'bye, Mum,' Lily whispered under her breath, her eyes welling up. But, no, the tears wouldn't spill. She was made of stronger stuff then that. She _would_ be a source of strength and courage.

People were now leaving, uttering sympathies of little comfort to the Evans family. Petunia and Mr Evans made to leave a little while after them.

'Coming, Lily?' Mr Evans asked.

'I think I'll stay here for a bit,' said Lily, smiling quickly.

'If that's what you want,' he said.

He took Petunia's hand and walked away for her. Lily felt that ice-cold feeling of loneliness pierce her heart again, but ignored it. She sat down cross-legged on the grass near where her mother now laid. The two men had finished filling the hole with mud, and had left, nodding to Lily, who quickly smiled back in return.

It didn't feel long before the sky darkened and rain began falling hard; this was colder than the lonely feeling she had had before. Lily didn't care. She removed the ridiculous hat and laid down on the grass, reading the engraving on the tombstone over and over and over, letting rain attack her soft cheeks. When was this day going to be over?

*.*.*

Sirius swore loudly.

'How did this all come about?' he wondered aloud. He kicked an armchair.

'Don't take it out on the furniture,' said Remus softly. 'You'll scare all the first-years,' he said. 'They're already terrified enough.'

'Yes,' Peter squeaked.

'Shut up, Pete,' Sirius snapped. 'Don't forget, it's your fault James is locked up.'

'Well, he shouldn't have bit me,' said Peter. 'Now I'm struggling to catch up on all the work I missed. The only positive to this is that Professor McGonagall has stopped giving me those Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening detentions for that fire …'

Remus smiled kindly at him before saying, 'Look, we all need to stick together to get James out of there, preferably before Lily finds out he was even gone.'

'You don't reckon she'll kill us, do you?' Sirius asked.

'Maybe,' said Remus lightly, pondering. 'She'd either kill us or make us want to kill ourselves. Either way, her job's done –'

'And we're dead!' Peter squealed.

'Peter, shut up,' said Sirius.

Peter obeyed this time.

'We'll just have to have faith in justice,' Remus sighed. 'Lily's always told James that the truth comes out eventually, and he'll get punished for his wrongdoings … let's hope that this works in his favour this time.'

Peter couldn't stop giggling. 'Teehee! Yeah! I bet! Hahaha!' He began wheezing from giggling too much. At what, neither Remus nor Sirius knew; both became unnerved, exchanging worried glances.

'Okay …' said Remus. 'Wormtail, that's enough.'

But Peter kept on laughing, laughing madly.

'Pete,' said Remus, but the small boy had already gotten up and was walking up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

'What was that about?' Sirius questioned, his forehead creased.

Remus held up his hands and said, 'I don't know. It must be the medication they've been giving him …'

'Hope so,' said Sirius. 'Actually, I hope he overdoses,' he amended aggressively.

Remus sighed and shook his head, half of him wishing Lily was there, the other half hoping she doesn't return any time soon.

They had been to visit James on one occasion, after arguing with McGonagall for a lot of time, and their visit hadn't been very pleasant; James was extremely quiet, almost empty. What kept him going amongst the company of the cruel Dementors, no one knew, although Sirius guessed that the fact that James hadn't lost all might have made him feel better.

They weren't sure whether or not to bother visiting him again. He barely acknowledged their presence, hardly responded to questions and only looked up when his name was called in a gentle tone.

*.*.*

'Lily!' Vanessa exclaimed out of surprise, although she tried looking as though she was pleased at the same time.

'Hey,' Lily said brightly, dumping her suitcase on her bed. 'I decided to come back a day early.'

'How come?' Alice asked. 'Did you miss us that much?'

'Sure,' grinned Lily. 'You can keep telling yourselves that.'

'We've got some news for you,' Cassie said gloomily.

'Ooh, better be good,' she replied. 'I am dying to hear some good news. Figuratively, of course.'

'Why?' Vanessa frowned. 'How's Mrs Evans doing?'

'I'm sorry,' said Lily guiltily. 'She's … she's … she didn't quite pull through.'

The other girls froze, seemingly unable to comprehend what Lily had just said. It felt like minutes before anyone spoke.

'Oh, gosh,' whispered Vanessa. 'I'm so sorry.'

'Thanks,' she said, smiling.

'No!' Alice gasped. 'Not your mum! Your mum's awesome! How can she be dead? I'll never get to taste her brownies again! Those sweet, chocolaty, smile-filled brownies! Won't you just miss them? Oh, and the way she'd offer us Muggle drinks like lemony aid! Except I wasn't allowed that, because I'd go all hyper, but your mum would still offer it to me, just to be polite …!'

'Alice,' Cassie hissed. 'Shut. Up.'

'It's okay,' said Lily quickly, throwing Alice a smile. 'I'll miss her brownies, too. And her homemade lemonade.'

'Why were you apologising?' Vanessa asked.

'I actually received the news on Sunday – that letter I received in the morning,' she explained. 'I lied, because I didn't think I'd be able to stand all the sympathy for a while. You know when you just don't want to hear it?'

'That's nothing to say sorry for,' said Vanessa abruptly.

Lily merely smiled at her best friend before unzipping her suitcase and throwing out the contents. 'So what was the news you guys had to say?'

Cassie and Vanessa exchanged panicky glances. Should Lily really find out now after losing her mother? How much bad news could the girl take? Cassie and Vanessa silently decided James's news could wait a while.

'Well?' said Lily, eyeing them suspiciously.

'James –' Alice began, but Vanessa discreetly stepped on her foot.

'- has begun tutoring younger students,' Cassie finished, sounding convincing. 'We thought that was good news, you know, James giving something back to the school community. Great, right?'

'Aww, yeah, that is,' said Lily cheerfully, folding some clothes up and putting them in the draws of her wardrobe. 'That's really great of him. That could explain why he didn't show up at the funeral on Wednesday like he said he would. I was so disappointed at first. But it's for a good cause. I should check up on him and others sometime –'

'NO!' Cassie and Vanessa shouted in unison.

'James doesn't like being disturbed,' Alice chimed, surprising Cassie and Vanessa; the girl wasn't normally this quick when it came to catching on.

'Okay,' said Lily, looking slightly disheartened as she put some clothes on hangers.

'Yeah …' said Vanessa awkwardly.

An awkward silence graced them with its presence until Lily had finished unpacking and had stuffed her suitcase elsewhere. It was her stomach that made the first noise, indicating that it was lunch time.

'Oh, I am one hungry girl,' she said. 'Let's go and eat.'

'What, with the rest of the school?' Vanessa asked.

'Uh … yeah … that's often how it goes,' said Lily slowly.

'No, no, no,' said Vanessa. 'We can lunch afterwards. Everyone's going to be bombarding you with questions about where you've been and everything … you don't want all that now.'

'Ah, yeah,' said Lily, pulling a face. 'Okay. Later it is. I have lots of work to catch up on, don't I?'

'Not too much,' smiled Vanessa, handing over a rather large and precariously balanced stack of parchment of assignments set by teachers in her absence.

'Wow …'

Lily was already a fifth of the way through her catch-up work when Vanessa declared it was probably safe for the lot to lunch in the Great Hall; Lily laughed at her choice of words.

On the way down, plenty of students greeted Lily; some happily, some sympathetically.

'It's good to be back,' said Lily contentedly.

'You bet …' said Cassie in an undertone.

Vanessa spotted Peter, Remus and Sirius getting up, but, unfortunately, Lily had too.

'Hey, guys!' she said brightly, waving to them.

Remus was the only one who waved back.

When they were closer, Lily, noticing their uncharacteristically gloomy faces, teasingly said, 'James too busy to lunch with his best buds today?'

They looked confused, so she added, 'Alice, Cassie and Vanessa filled me in about James tutoring younger students,' she said happily. 'I really think Dumbledore selecting him as Head Boy has reformed him.'

Vanessa was careful to avoid Sirius's eyes, although she knew he was trying to wordlessly say something to her.

'Yeah,' said Remus hoarsely. 'He's just too busy for us now. It's a bummer.'

'What are you talking about?' Peter asked. 'He –'

Remus flicked his wand and muttered, '_Silencio_.'

'Why didn't I think of that before?' Sirius asked to no one in particular.

Remus shrugged. 'Best be off then, ladies,' he said courteously, walking away with his friends.

'_What is in the pumpkin juice in this school_?Everyone's gone crazy,' Lily concluded, sitting down. 'Ooh, food.'

'When's the last time you ate?' Vanessa enquired, helping herself to a roll.

'I had breakfast … a few days ago …'

'Lily! A few _days _ago?'

'I couldn't help it,' she said in a defensive tone. 'I lost my appetite and everything tasted like plastic …'

Vanessa stared at her with narrowed eyes, but otherwise let her off.

'Hey … what happened to Camilla and James?' Lily asked quietly, looking over at the Ravenclaw table, where a tall Ravenclaw boy had lent a hand to Camilla to help her up.

'Nothing,' Vanessa answered in a voice too high to pass as her own.

'But look – she's getting a bit close to another guy and they just … ew. Did they not just eat? _Merlin_! Is she _cheating_ on James? Guys, we should be doing something! I think. If James finds out from us, he's going to be heartbroken; if he finds out from someone else, he'll be heartbroken and possibly mad at us and –'

'Lily, they broke up,' said Cassie smoothly. It wasn't technically lying. If Camilla was seeing another guy, then she must have decided she and James weren't going to be together anyway.

'Oh, no,' said Lily softly. 'You miss six days of school, you miss everything, right? How's he doing? Wait, I just noticed something – _Peter's back_. He's out of St Mungo's! Does that mean all of the vampire attack victims are back and right in their mind? So we know who the vampire is now! Oh, enlighten me! I can't believe you forgot to mention this.'

Vanessa smiled painfully. 'Uh, actually, there was one victim who still hasn't returned. She was attacked quite recently – goes by the name Holly Hughes. The others are back, though, and they're doing better than before. But the strange thing is, they don't seem to remember the attacks,' said Vanessa miserably. 'So we're no closer to finding out the identity of the vampire than we were before.'

'Sucks, right?' said Cassie lowly, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

'Heck yeah,' said Lily, her spirits plummeting slightly. 'So, who's keeping an eye on James?'

'What?'

'You know – I was supposed to keep an eye on him until they found a new lead. But I'm here … so someone must be over with him wherever he is now.'

'Yeah,' said Vanessa slowly, 'yeah, we're not sure who, though.'

'Is she a girl? Is she pretty?'

'Don't know and not sure,' Vanessa said, making the effort to laugh.

Lily looked unhappy as she finished the last of her lunch.

'He'll be back,' Alice chirped.

Cassie and Vanessa exchanged another silent message: how long could they keep a secret from Lily? Classes would start on Monday, and she would wonder why he wasn't there.

But Lily didn't have to wait for Monday to find out what the others were desperately trying to hide from her.

There was a crowd gathering in a corner of the Gryffindor common room when the girls had gotten there, and they heard a first-year boy with an extremely high-pitched voice loudly saying, 'Over here, over here! Everyone over here! We need as many signatures as we can get on this petition! Come on, it's for a good cause!'

Lily froze upon hearing the last two words, and turned.

'Come on! Potter needs us, we're his army!'

'His army of ninja wizards and witches!' a girl added. 'It sounds cool,' she said defensively, upon receiving strange stares.

'Potter?' Lily echoed questioningly. 'As in James?'

'It's probably nothing,' said Vanessa hastily.

'Yeah, let's go,' Cassie said. 'Silly first-years and their … first-year ways of getting things done …'

Vanessa tried pulling Lily away, but she remained rooted to the spot.

'Evans, you have to sign,' a prefect said. 'If we don't get Potter free, he'd still be happy to know you signed. That could really turn his attitude towards his sentence around.'

'Potter? Free? _Sentence_?' said Lily, trying to break free of Vanessa's grip. 'Vanessa, let go of me!'

'No, come on, you have a ton of work to do,' she was trying to say, but in a swift movement, Lily was free.

She approached the crowd and pushed her way through in a daze, until she was at the front, and read the heading of the petition:

_James Potter is not a vampire or _the_ vampire. He was wrongly sent to Azkaban. Free James Potter!_

Lily stopped breathing for a moment as yet another part of her world came crashing down. James had been accused of being a vampire. James was suffering alone in Azkaban. James needed Lily.

* * *

**A/N: I'm steadily going off the original plan. The next few chapters are much happier and on-track (:**


	33. Potter's Ninja Army

**Disclaimer: Pretty much everything belongs to JK Rowling (:**

* * *

- Chapter Thirty-three -

~ Potter's Ninja Army ~

'Lily, please be rational!' Remus was saying, panting as he attempted to keep up with the redheaded witch. 'Come on, please!'

'Remus, I do not _want_ to be rational,' she was saying. 'I want James, and I want him now. I want him back here with the rest of us. I want to see him at least! I didn't get to say goodbye to him properly.'

She turned another corner in the corridor.

'Lily –'

'_No_, Remus.'

'Lily, wait –'

'Go away.'

'Lily!' Remus caught Lily's wrist before saying, 'Dumbledore's office is the other way, remember?'

'Oh … er, thanks …'

She started speed-walking in the direction he had pointed to, working up her fury again. How dare they send James to Azkaban without any proof besides a few false witnesses' testimonies? And how could Dumbledore let this happen? He was Dumbledore, he had all the power in the Wizarding world, and yet James was taken away from them. Oh, the things that went wrong when Lily wasn't around. She swore never to leave Hogwarts during term-time again.

A few minutes later, the two had reached the gargoyle statue stationed at the entrance of Dumbledore's office.

'Liquorice wand,' said Lily uncertainly, looking at the statue with hope in her eyes.

'Wait, you don't know the password?' Remus said slowly; she thought she could see clogs and wheels turning in his mind.

'No,' said Lily quietly. 'But _you_ do. Tell me, Remus. Now.'

'No.'

'You guys _lied to me_,' Lily half-screeched. 'What right did you have to try and conceal the truth from me? James is _my_ friend as well, I should be informed if, I don't know, _he gets sent to Azkaban_. Something so huge and you all felt the need to keep it from me …'

'We only lied to you, because we love you,' said Remus softly. 'You came back under dark thunder clouds, you were exhausted, you had been through a rough week and we didn't think James was going to make it any better.'

'How long did you think you could get away with lying to me?' said Lily furiously.

'Longer than this,' he muttered in response.

'I'd much rather have heard it from you guys – my supposed _friends_ – than some first-years who're turning all of this into a _game_.'

'I'm sorry,' he said quietly.

Lily closed her eye. 'It's not even you I should be saying all of this to. I should be sorry. But I'm not. Now, tell me the password.'

He didn't. She whipped out her wand and threatened him with it.

'Uh, Lily …' said Remus nervously. 'Please, be reasonable.'

'Unfortunately, that crosses over with my duties of being a good friend,' said Lily somewhat more calmly. 'Tell me the password, Remus.'

He looked into her eyes and felt his own loyalties bending slightly. 'Blood-flavoured lollipops,' he sighed.

'Is that a _joke_?' Lily questioned, sounding disgusted.

'Inappropriate, yes, but Dumbledore likes his jokes, you know that.'

'Mm, yeah,' said Lily after thinking about it. She turned to the gargoyle and said, 'Blood-flavoured lollipops. Are you coming or what, Remus?'

'Do you want me to come along?'

'Whatever suits you,' she said, smiling slightly before leaving him.

He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he didn't go with her. Sighing again, he followed her into Dumbledore's office.

'Miss Evans,' the old man said. 'What a pleasant surprise. How may I be of assistance?'

'James,' said Lily urgently. 'How did this come about? How _could_ this come about?'

Dumbledore exhaled deeply and indicated that she and Remus should sit down. 'I am powerless to change situations when the Ministry decides to step in. I tried and tried dissuading the Minister, but he was intent on being seen doing something. Now all we can do is work as hard as possible to uncover who the real vampire is so Mr Potter can be released.'

'So you believe that he's innocent, Professor?' said Lily, sounding slightly happier than before.

'Of course, Miss Evans. I didn't doubt Mr Potter for even a minute. I do not, however, have the power to make other men see my way.'

'Yes, Professor,' said Lily quickly. 'One more thing – I wish to see James. Now.'

Remus's heart sank slightly. This girl just didn't know when to give up.

Dumbledore stared long and hard into Lily's defiant eyes, which betrayed no sign of weakness or even looking away. His fingertips were touching as he thought. Finally, he leant in, breaking his fingers apart and said, 'Very well. As you are of age, you are entitled to go alone. However, I would feel most at ease if you took a friend.'

Lily turned to Remus and smiled sweetly.

'Fine,' he said. 'But I have to be back before nightfall,' he added.

'Brilliant,' said Dumbledore. 'Fair warning, Miss Evans, there is a reason as to why criminals and visitors alike try avoiding Azkaban.'

Lily swallowed hard. She had read about Dementors all the time, read about how they temporarily sucked happy thoughts from a being. But never had she actually felt what it was like. She ignored the fear building up in her stomach and nodded. Lily Evans was going to Azkaban.

*.*.*

Lily didn't like it inside the murky prison. The atmosphere was cold, dingy, dark and gloomy, even without the Dementors being there. Some of the prisoners seemed crazy in their minds, sitting in the corners of their diminutive cells and talking to themselves, sometimes screaming. They gave Lily the creeps. It didn't help that the Dementors were gliding about, sucking every thought of pure happiness that had ever crossed her mind. All she was left with were memories of her hamster Chestnut's funeral, hers and Petunia's fight after Lily received her letter from Hogwarts, the many arguments with James over his bigheadedness and the times his words had slashed open her heart, and losing Aaliyah …

'Lils,' said Remus softly. She knew they were sharing the last thought she had been thinking. 'Over here.'

James looked vulnerable. Lily didn't like it. He was curled up on the stone floor, his face hidden from them. He didn't look up upon hearing footsteps and, unlike Lily, he didn't jump when a prisoner shouted in their sleep. Uneaten food was spread all over the floor. Lily's stomach turned as she wondered when the last time he ate was.

'James?' she whispered, delicately kneeling down on the grimy floor.

'James,' said Remus, joining her. 'It's Lily.'

They watched James poke his head up painfully slowly. He looked much like a scared five-year-old, sitting alone in the dark.

'Lily?' he croaked.

'Yes, Lily,' Remus replied.

'Hey, James,' she said softly.

James sat up. He was beginning to look more normal already, although his clothes were beyond messy, even for his standards.

'What day is it?' he murmured.

'It's Saturday,' she replied. 'You've been here for about six days. You're doing great,' she said comfortingly, 'just hang in there a little bit more.'

'Saturday? So Wednesday's gone?'

'Yeah,' said Lily kindly, nodding; deep down, she was quite scared he had already lost it.

'I'm sorry, Lily,' he groaned, running a hand through his hair. 'I'm sorry I missed it.'

'It's okay,' she replied quietly, but with a smile. 'You could hardly help it.'

'I know you needed someone …'

'I'm still alive,' she said simply. 'And I'm perfectly healthy. I'm doing fine. And you will be, too. Look, you have an absolutely _amazing_ connection with so many students in school, even a few Slytherins. They're making and signing petitions to get you released – over hundreds of signatures already.'

'Really?' he croaked.

'Yeah,' said Lily encouragingly. 'And they've formed this huge group – they call themselves Potter's Ninja Army.'

Remus was astounded to hear James laugh, even though it sounded broken and unnatural.

'Are you Head Ninja then?' he asked jokingly.

'It was actually formed by all those first-years you took the time to get to know,' she whispered delightfully. 'You would be proud if you were over there now. I am. Rest assured that we'll find the real vampire and he or she will pay for all the days you've spent here. Everything's going to be okay in the end, I promise you. We'll be laughing about all of this in a few years' time.'

James managed a weak smile. 'What else have I missed out on?'

'Not too much,' Remus answered. 'Some fifth-years have started selling garlic stuff – talismans, anklets, hats decorated with garlic – anything, you name it. People are desperate for things to ward off vampires. I wouldn't be surprised if Darktoff set them up to it, just as a joke.'

James chuckled slightly.

They talked and carelessly joked about for many minutes. Lily shivered as a gust of wind blew through James's barred window.

'You're cold,' said James, although he worded it like a question.

'Just a little bit,' said Lily.

'We should get going,' Remus suggested, checking his watch.

'Not without James,' Lily whispered.

'I'll be fine from now,' he said with some strength in his voice. 'I feel a lot better than before. Really.'

'Will you start eating again?' she said, sounding like he had no choice but to eat.

'Of course,' he said. 'Every day.'

'And make sure you're a lot for the Dementors to handle,' said Lily inspiringly. 'But not enough that they decide to Kiss you or anything.'

'Really, Lily?' said Remus, although he sounded amused.

'We need to keep some of that mischief alive,' Lily explained. 'When James returns, I want James, not an empty shell.'

'An extremely hot empty shell, though,' James added, even managing a wink.

Lily laughed. She felt this little light within her, one the Dementors couldn't extinguish. She felt somewhat at peace with herself now that James looked better than before.

'But, really, we should get going now,' said Remus.

'Yeah,' said Lily sadly. 'James, don't forget that we're all behind you. You know those friends you have a lot of faith in? They're all supporting you, paying you back for all the generous favours you did for them in the past. Just stay strong. You have us, and we're all hopeful. We have a lot of faith in you.'

'So no one believes I'm the vampire?' he said weakly.

'A few Slytherins do, but who cares about them,' said Lily. 'Some people are sitting on the fence, but the vast majority of us know that a potato's as much of a vampire as you are.'

'What do you have against potatoes?' said James. 'They give you food. Potatoes are your friends. Do not start on them.'

'Okay, sorry,' Lily laughed. 'I almost forgot you have this freaky obsession with potatoes.'

'More or less,' James grinned.

'Am I missing something here?' Remus asked, looking curiously from Lily to James.

'Yes,' said James bluntly.

'You can explain it to me as we get out of here,' said Remus to Lily. 'It's a full moon tonight, and it's getting dark outside …'

'Oh, of course, I'm so sorry, Remus' said Lily hastily, jumping up immediately. 'See you soon, James,' she said, smiling. 'And remember: stay strong.'

James smiled sadly at them. He didn't curl up in a ball when he saw them leave. He felt stronger than before. He was going to pull through.

*.*.*

'Listen up, Gryffindor Ninjas,' said Lily loudly as she and Remus stepped into the common room. All chatter ceased immediately. 'Phase two of plan A has been carried out successfully.'

'Brilliant,' said Angela Smith, a Gryffindor Chaser, high-fiving some of her friends.

'Now we've got to keep an eye out for more suspects,' said Sirius. 'Everyone here has a garlic accessory, right?'

'Irritatingly enough,' said William Dowling unhappily. 'These things look and smell stupid.'

'Live with it,' said Vanessa. 'We need these garlic accessories. The real vampire should shy away from us and look suspicious when we have them on.'

'Don't forget to notice the person who tries not to stare just a little too much,' Lily added. 'The vampire will try to act slick.'

'And no one acts slick when they try to act slick,' Sirius said to murmurs of agreement.

'You would know,' said Vanessa quietly, grinning to herself. Sirius pretended he didn't hear her.

'So who have we got on the list of suspects?' Lily asked, pulling Remus over to the small circle of seventh-years and dropping down in an armchair.

'Let's see,' a Joe Yarwood, a first-year said, unravelling curly parchment. 'Potter's Ninja Army – PNA …'

'As in Panini,' another first-year said, giggling. 'Mm … Panini.'

'It's nearly dinner time,' said Lily reassuringly, stroking Vanessa's hair for no particular reason.

'_Anyway_,' Joe said, 'they're mostly Slytherins like Mulciber … Avery … Nott … Parkinson … Rosier … oh, but we've recently added a Ravenclaw to the list who's been acting _very_ suspiciously.'

'What's his name?' Lily asked.

'Jason, I believe. Jason Downs.'

'As if he's the vampire we're looking for,' Peter snorted abnormally.

But Lily's fingers had frozen in Vanessa's hair.

'How has he been acting suspiciously?' she asked in a quiet voice.

'He has been spotted walking alone quite a lot lately, always looking behind him as though he's afraid of being caught doing something wrong, which he should be. He's extremely pale and he avoids any kind of contact with anyone – I'm not sure if it's just people with garlics, but that's how it seems.'

'Anyone could be like that,' Peter said.

Sarah nodded fervently and squeaked, 'Yes.'

'Jason?' Lily whispered quietly. Her thoughts were racing at two hundred miles per hour. All of a sudden, she was back in Hogsmeade, inside Honeydukes, and Jason wanted some blood-flavoured lollipops – then she was in a classroom with Jason, who took a look at the twilight sky before ditching Lily without giving her a valid reason – she was in the stands, hearing about the patients in St Mungo's getting better until Jason decided to get up and go – _'Jason … Downs … stop right there. No more!'_ … he was going to bite her …

'Vanessa?' Lily said in a fearful, high-pitched voice. 'What was the name of the girl who last got attacked?'

'Erm … Holly Hughes,' said Vanessa uneasily. 'Why?'

'I … I think she was the girl James and I caught with Jason … the last time I saw the girl was when he was with her … I'm sure. He was all over her, it was gross. She said, "Finally!" when James and I found her, as if she was relieved … he likes blood-flavoured lollipops … I barely ever saw him at night … he found out the password to our common room … He must've gotten to Peter.'

'You mean you _dated_ the vampire?' said Sirius disgustedly. 'And you once told me I had bad taste …'

'Shut up, Sirius,' Vanessa snapped, before turning back to Lily. 'Do you reckon you can explain why the victims claim that James is the vampire?'

Lily stared out of the window, ignoring how everyone's eyes were on her. Another day was dying, and time was ticking. 'That day in the stands when we were watching Gryffindor practice – James told us they would be ready to tell us all what had happened to them, and Jason suddenly vanished with a hurried goodbye. He could have gone to hospital – he could have sneaked out somehow. He –'

In a swift movement, Peter jumped at Lily, his hands tightening around her throat. Her face was steadily turning blue. Sarah bit Lily's arm, taking everyone by surprise even more.

'WORMTAIL!' Sirius shouted, struggling to pull his friend off her.

Remus lifted his wand and shouted, '_Petrificus Totalus!'_

Peter froze and fell backwards, stiff all over. Vanessa did the same to Sarah, and their stationary bodies were grouped together away from the rest of the Gryffindors, as though they were still harmful.

'Thanks, guys,' she gasped, massaging her neck.

'She drew blood!' Alice squealed, sounding alarmed and horrified at the blood running down Lily's arm. 'That innocent little kid made you bleed!'

'It's okay,' said Remus calmly.

'Okay?' Sirius echoed in disbelief. 'Sarah really left a mark …'

He strode over to Lily and quickly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing how contoured his chest was.

Vanessa snorted at all the girls' gasps. 'How is this supposed to help?'

Sirius ignored her. He ripped along his shirt twice to get two strips. With one, he gently dabbed at the nauseating scarlet liquid, clearing it up; with the other he wrapped it around Lily's arm and tied it enough to hold, but not enough to cut off her circulation.

'Wow, thanks, Sirius,' she said happily.

'What was that about?' Cassie wondered aloud.

'I was going to say that Jason was an expert at Confundus Charms,' said Lily. 'I wonder if he left us that day in the stands to confuse the victims so they would give another name. I would say an Imperius Curse judging by the behaviour of these two … but the Ministry might have picked up on that somehow.'

'Yeah,' said Cassie. 'Peter's really not been himself lately. And that attack …'

'And remember, Peter would keep vanishing for some time and return all funny,' said Remus.

'Sarah was like that as well sometimes,' said a small first-year weepily.

'He – Jason – might have been trying to re-confuse them,' said Lily.

'Then Downs must be the vampire, he just has to be,' said Joe, marking an asterisk next to Jason's name on the list.

'And James's paying for him,' said Lily thoughtfully. 'Paying for my mistake …'

'Don't you dare go blaming yourself,' said Vanessa in a low, dangerous growl. 'Downs probably wants that, for all of us to turn against each other or ourselves, because that would get us nowhere. But we won't let that happen to us. We've got to stick together now that we've identified the enemy. And we've got to alert the rest of the Ninjas, but _discreetly_, in case Downs detects something.'

'Before we do anything,' said Sirius, 'we should probably sort out Peter, Sarah and that Hufflepuff boy; snap them out of Downs's charm. That might make things easier for us.'

No one disagreed. They all got to work quickly, and Lily was pleased to see that everyone stuck together. The atmosphere seemed a little lifted, a little cheerier than before. At the thought of cheeriness, Lily suddenly remembered a petite, isolated hidden cottage in the middle of nowhere.

She ran up to the dormitory and got herself a parchment and some quill, before she began writing until her hand felt like it was going to drop off. She folded the parchment so that it made an envelope, with all the writing on the inside. She wrote two names on the outside of the letter before going back downstairs.

'Where are you going?' Vanessa asked as Lily headed for the portrait hole.

'I have someone to owl,' she replied. 'I just remembered.'

'Hurry back,' Vanessa called after her.

'All right.'

It was slightly chilly out in the corridor, and it was going to be even colder outside, but Lily still went on. She would have liked to hear from Magda and Pat; it had been over a month since they last spoke.

She felt extremely paranoid when she reached the West Tower where the Owlery was. Among the noisy rustle of the trees blowing in the cool February wind, she felt she could hear other movement, like footsteps, only thuds. She withdrew her wand and muttered, '_Lumos_,' shedding light on everything around her. She could now see the Owlery she was standing in; it was a circular stone room, cold and draughty, as there were many windows, none of which had glass over them so the owls could fly in and out as they pleased.

She turned around upon hearing another thud, but no one was there. Pulling her long hair away from her eyes, she stepped across the straw- and droppings-strewn floor. She accidentally woke up many of the birds, but after a minute they all seemed willing to serve her.

She selected her favourite creamy-brown barn owl with beady eyes, and watched him fly off in light of the full moon. Lily swore she heard a dog bark loudly as she made to leave the Owlery, and smiled to herself, thinking about how fun it must be to be one of James's closest male friends.

Lily nearly slipped on some straw on her way out, as she often did, and she smiled to herself. She was still feeling optimistic about the meeting with the Gryffindor Ninjas.

Suddenly, she felt a rough pair of hands on her – one hard over her mouth and the other tight around her stomach, directing her elsewhere. She screamed into the hand as loud as she could with her already sore throat. There was no one around to hear her.

* * *

Saturday 25th February 1978

**A/N: Dun, dun, dunnnn …**


	34. Decisions

**Disclaimer: All the characters and places and stuff belongs to JK Rowling (:**

**A/N: Apologies if I didn't reply to your review last chapter.**

* * *

- Chapter Thirty-four -

~ Decisions ~

Lily was pushed hard against the stone wall of the inside of the Owlery. She screamed into the hand again as she hit her head hard. In a Sarah-inspired way, she bit into the hand.

'OW, you …' the person swore repeatedly.

'Jason?' Lily spluttered, although she couldn't see in the dim-lit room. She shuddered and dropped her wand upon discovering that her mouth was full of blood.

'Quiet,' he snapped.

'What are you doing?'

'I know what you've been getting up to with your freaky friends,' he spat. 'And don't think I'm going to let you get away with this, pinning the blame on me.'

'But it _is_ you,' said Lily.

She felt a hand slam against her face, as her head hit the wall again.

'Took you long enough to figure it out,' Jason sneered. 'And they said you were bright.'

'I was a little bit unwilling to accept the truth, that's all,' snapped Lily.

'No. You really are dim. I'm one step ahead of whatever game you pathetic lot are trying to play.'

'Yeah, right. We're going to turn you in, Downs; you're going to pay for all the people you've hurt, including James spending his time in Azkaban.'

'No, you won't,' said Jason simply.

'What?'

'No – you won't. You won't turn me in.'

'Of course we will,' Lily argued. 'Haven't I already said?'

'If you tell another soul that I have anything to do with the attacks,' Jason growled threateningly, his face far too close to Lily's, 'I'll tell Dumbledore everything about your friends.'

'What about my friends?' said Lily quietly.

'I know you know what I mean,' Jason guffawed, sounding bitter. 'I've seen you with them. See, being a vampire, you spend a lot of time not sleeping. Being me, you spend a lot of time outside. Spending a lot of time outside means you see things you shouldn't … such as three Animagi and a werewolf, or the murder of that wayward girl you claimed was your friend.'

Without thinking or even hesitating, Lily slapped Jason, hoping her handprint was clear on his cheek. 'You do _not _insult Aaliyah.'

'But you get where I'm coming from, right?' he said darkly. 'If you dare expose my secret, I'll expose yours. It's your choice. You know your friends will go to Azkaban for illegally becoming Animagi. So if I go, they're coming with me. Your choice, Evans.'

'I just want to know one thing,' Lily swallowed, trying to stop her voice from shaking with trepidation and fury. 'Why? Why are you doing this?'

It was a moment before Downs answered her question. 'I fell in love,' he said simply, in his normal voice. 'I wanted you from the very night I watched you getting attacked by the savage werewolf. I had thought about stepping in to help you out, but I didn't. You were strong, you were brave. Everyone knew you were bright and independent and a catch with the boys. You're very pretty, everyone likes you … you were perfect for me.

'But you had your eye on Potter. I hated how you were head over heels for him. I wanted you for myself. I didn't see what you saw in him, and I still don't. I'm just as intelligent and good-looking. Why couldn't you fall for me instead?

'I decided to drive you away from him. I wondered to myself if you would like him if he were accused of being a vampire and if you believed he had hurt innocent people. I decided you wouldn't. I thought about only taking down people who were close to him. I knew his one strength that was also his weakness: he placed far too high a value on his friends.

'I saw him in contact with that first-year in your house, that Watson girl, and I already knew about how he was quite fond of assisting younger ones. I decided to get her, and then Pettigrew, one of his best friends. I considered Black, but even I'm not that heartless. And as for Lupin … well, he was quite nice to me, I wouldn't pay him back like this.'

'And the Hufflepuff? And that Holly girl?' Lily asked, her voice barely a whisper. She had been listening too attentively, not bothering to correct him in places she would have ordinarily felt would need correcting.

'The Hufflepuff I attacked, because it would look suspicious if only Gryffindors came to harm. And Holly … I would confide in her. I used to until she turned against me, told me all I was doing was wrong. She had it coming …

'So I framed Potter, but you had already caught me with Holly. You stopped mattering, you had flown out of the picture and I could see you weren't coming back. Now it's all about escaping Azkaban, even if it does mean framing _Potter_.'

Lily didn't like the way he spat out James's name, as if it were something dirty.

'Even if I hadn't caught you with Holly,' said Lily, her voice full of contempt she had never heard before, 'you still wouldn't have stood a chance. You were obsessive, controlling, demanding … You were never there for me. Ever. You were always somewhere else, always too busy for me. You never put the effort in, you put me down at every chance you had … and, I just think you should know, I'm more of a cheat than you are, which, instead of disgusting me as it did before, now pleases me. James and I kissed once when I went to stay over his place for Christmas. I can't believe I wasted time feeling guilty about that.'

She was pleased to hear him counting to ten under his breath; this meant she got to him.

'Whatever,' he said through gritted teeth eventually. 'Don't turn me in. If you do, I'm taking your friends with me to Azkaban. The decision's all yours. I won't mind too much; either way, I get satisfaction.'

He pushed Lily against the wall once more and stalked off.

Lily sunk against the wall feeling hopeless. She wouldn't scream and cry as tempting as the urge to do so was; Jason would like her to cry, he would love for her to hurt. But, no, she wouldn't. There was always an agreeable way out – all she had to do was keep looking for it. She had plenty of time to think whilst patrolling in peaceful solitude that night, and, finally, she had an idea.

*.*.*

Lily began wearing a garlic necklace after her somewhat fierce confrontation with Downs. She sent word out to all of Potter's Ninjas to not speak about their prime suspect with any teachers, or any conclusions they jumped to. Surprisingly, they all obeyed, although there was a lot of uproar and unanswered questions as to why not. It was Remus, Sirius and Vanessa who eventually got the truth out of Lily, but they kept it within their circle.

'So he's seen us transform?' Sirius clarified, handing over another goblet of iced pumpkin juice for Lily's minor injuries.

'Yeah,' said Lily, thankfully accepting it. 'And he'll tell everyone you're all illegal Animagi if we put forward all the evidence we have against him.'

Sirius swore loudly; Vanessa stamped on his foot for it.

'Guys, not now,' said Lily somewhat resignedly, closing her eyes.

'I say we grass him up,' said Sirius.

'But you'll all go to Azkaban,' said Vanessa.

'Azkaban won't be too bad if we have each other, right?' said Sirius, although he sounded uncertain, rather like a scared and worried five-year-old.

'You'll probably be in separate cells,' said Lily, opening her eyes again.

'So, what, James is just gonna stay there?' said Vanessa shakily; she sounded as though she was about to cry.

Sirius fought the urge to put a comforting arm around her.

'If anyone's gonna be locked up, it should be me,' Lily sighed. 'Downs did this all _for me_.' She ignored Sirius miming throwing up. 'No one else should have to bear the consequences, and I'm not just saying that.'

'Lily, you didn't ask him to do anything,' said Vanessa reasonably. 'Right, Remus?'

'Yes, yes,' he replied, looking a little pale.

'What're you thinking?' she inquired.

Lily felt she already knew before he spoke; she knew him well enough.

'If only I wasn't a werewolf,' he groaned. 'You guys would never have become illegal Animagi and Downs wouldn't have blackmailed us.'

Lily's expression softened. 'Remus, you know he would've found another way of getting to us, even if James, Peter and Sirius weren't Animagi. Don't go so hard on yourself; you're not doing anyone any good. We could all throw the blame on each other and ourselves, but it won't get us anywhere. Come on, you're the brains of the group. We need you.'

Remus smiled appreciatively at the compliment and nodded, looking heartened.

'He's given us choices … we've just got to decided which choice is the right one,' said Vanessa, thinking deeply.

'What if we turn utilitarian?' said Remus.

'Turn _what_, sorry?' said Sirius.

'What if we look at this from a different point of view,' he said quickly. 'What if we decide to go for the happiness of the greatest number of people? You know, which choice pleases the majority of people.'

'But that means James stays locked up,' said Lily painfully, her heart sinking at the thought of James's ruined life and about his poor mother sitting inside their little cottage awaiting her son's release. What if she didn't live that long?

Lily was counting on a reply from Magda and Pat; she had sent another letter describing the situation not long after she had sent the first letter. Magda and Pat were old and wise – she felt they would know what to do. It did, however, mean letting more people in on the secret, which was never safe. But Lily took the risk.

They eventually decided to mull over their options the next day, for it was getting late and they had classes the very next day, although the idea seemed impossible with so many things going on. But none of them slept well that night, all of them being worried about the near and distant future and life without James. Some year this was turning out to be.

*.*.*

'Eat something, you guys,' Alice said positively. 'Are you all right? The two of you look absolutely dead. No offence or anything.'

'Yeah, yeah,' said Vanessa sleepily.

'Of course we're fine,' Lily mumbled, more alert than her best friend. 'Didn't get much sleep, that's all.'

'Well, you're gonna have to catch up on sleep fast,' said Cassie, 'because we have Transfiguration first, Lils.'

Lily groaned loudly.

Cassie slid over a mug to Lily.

'What?' she moaned.

'Drink it,' said Cassie, smiling out of amusement.

'It's not any of that Pepper-up Potion again, is it?' said Lily wearily. 'Because if it is, I have news for you –'

'It's just coffee,' said Cassie.

'Ew, I hate c-'

Cassie got fed up. She pulled back Lily's hair so she was facing the dismal ceiling of the Great Hall and tipped the coffee into her mouth. She choked a little, but the coffee did the trick in seconds; she was much more vigilant than before. Vanessa was forced to undergo the same treatment.

Sirius laughed at them, as he passed them on his way out of the Great Hall with Peter and Remus.

'You don't look sleepy,' Vanessa grumbled. 'Why do you not look sleepy? This is hardly fair.'

'I'm used to late nights,' he chuckled.

Vanessa stuck her tongue out at him.

'Oh, Lily, you had mail,' said Cassie, handing over to her a letter. 'You were too asleep before.'

'Thanks,' she replied, taking the letter.

It was from Magda and Pat. Their writing was mostly full of sympathies and comforting words, but it was their last few words which really got to Lily:

_We have faith in your seemingly innate ability to make the right decisions_.

So Lily knew what to do. She always knew what to do. Even if the consequences came out terribly, she had the right intentions. She wanted James to go out of Azkaban, and for no one she loved or cared about to go in, especially as she felt it was mostly her fault … _her _fault …

She looked up at the staff table; it was full, except for Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher. Maybe it was the coffee pushing her on, but she seemed to know what to do.

She ripped off her garlic necklace and threw it aside. She got up and headed for the staff table. People were staring at her already.

'Professor Dumbledore, I have a confession,' Lily said clearly.

The students nearby stopped talking and looked around; other students followed suit, wondering why everyone was so quiet all of a sudden.

'I know you'll be surprised,' she continued, 'but, please, don't be. I've been meaning to get this off my chest for a long time now.'

Dumbledore looked as though he already knew what she was going to say. 'Go on, Miss Evans.'

'Lily, _no_!' Vanessa squealed, also guessing what Lily was about to do next.

'_I'm_ the vampire you've been looking for,' she said. 'You all remember how much James and I wouldn't get along? Well, I wanted to get rid of him once and for all. Only now it's gotten to my conscience. I can't go on like this. I've hurt too many people. Lock _me_ up.'

Lily watched Filch run across to Dumbledore behind the staff table. The two had a quick discussion before Filch jogged away and out of sight. She was a better actress than she thought.

'Yep, that's right,' she said turning to everyone. 'It's me. It was all me. I had fun messing you all around,' she added derisively. 'Potter's Ninja Army – ever heard anything so ridiculous?' She hated herself for the harsh words she employed.

'No way,' a tiny Hufflepuff boy shouted. 'No!'

The babble broke out again; some people looked outraged, others understanding, others betrayed. Everyone on the staff table looked torn between curiosity and disbelief. Lily had the mad desire to laugh.

In a matter of minutes, Ministry representatives were at the scene, just as Lily had hoped for – her words were being taken seriously.

The Heads of Houses attempted to clear out the Great Hall as the bell rung, but the students were too stubborn, and soon they gave up.

'So you openly confessed to your crimes?' a tall and scary-looking one said in a deep voice.

'Yes, sir,' said Lily quietly. 'It was me all along, not James. You've got the wrong person. I wasn't in school when they took James away.'

'Why not?' the man replied shortly. 'You should always be in school during term time.'

'I had my mother's funeral to attend, sir,' she said even more quietly.

The man's expression didn't relax. 'Criminals don't stir my sympathy,' he said acidly.

Lily didn't notice Dumbledore was standing by her side, looking as if he could see right through her new charade.

'So you're the one we've been looking for all this time?' he said.

'Yes,' she replied.

'You realise you face imprisonment?'

'Yes,' she said calmly, not revealing a hint of fear.

'Well, we have a confession from the girl.'

'No!' someone shouted. 'She's not the vampire. _I_ am.'

Lily turned, half-expecting to see Downs – it was Sirius. She grinned at him appreciatively when none of the adults were looking at her. He didn't know he was starting off a chain reaction.

Suddenly, a fifth-year girl at the Hufflepuff table stood up and said, 'Black isn't. I am.'

Plenty of students began following suit, standing up and claiming to be the vampire, confessing to crimes they hadn't committed; Lily's lip bled from her biting it in an attempt to not smile. Even Hagrid, who was positively beaming, stood up and confessed, although it didn't quite work as everyone in the Hall was well aware that Hagrid metaphorically had the hugest heart out of them all.

'So you have many confessors,' said Dumbledore serenely with a tint of contentedness, 'what shall you do? You have locked up the one who claims he is innocent, and you have before you a Hall full of people who claim that they are guilty. What decision do you make?'

The representative stared at everyone in the hall, his face conveying sheer derision and displeasure.

'I see you are all determined,' he said finally. 'Potter will have to be released, then. We have no other choice. I don't suppose we have enough cells in Azkaban for everyone. You all win.'

He and his other representatives slowly left the Great Hall in bitter defeat. An explosion of cheers took place; even a few Slytherins and McGonagall couldn't help but look overwhelmed.

Many surrounding Lily closed in on her, hugging her, congratulating her. She was practically crying with happiness, but caught Dumbledore's twinkling eyes and his thumbs up.

What very few people in the Great Hall realised was that they had only overcome one hurdle. They were going to get James back, but they couldn't get Downs locked up without James, Peter and Sirius joining him. She would worry about that later. Right now, victory – or partial victory – was sweet, and the feeling had come very rarely that year.

*.*.*

Things were almost going back to normal. James was all too jovial to be back where he belonged, the attacks had stopped and trivial matters began taking over their lives once again. But the fact that the vampire was still roaming freely among them aggravated all who knew. Jason became the least popular student in Hogwarts by far, but he appeared to be savouring the loneliness.

At that moment, the Marauders and Lily were sitting by the armchairs directly in front of the fireplace in the otherwise empty common room, and were filling James in on everything they had found out since he left. Lily could tell by reading his face that he was angered by everything Downs had put him through, but, after a quick look at Lily, he decided to say nothing, which she was grateful for.

'I still can't quite believe him,' she sniffed, blinking back tears. 'I feel so … contaminated. Why did it have to end this way? I miss him, but I hate him, but I want him back, but I wish I never met him.'

'Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say,' said Sirius darkly.

James didn't say anything; he couldn't express how envious he felt that someone who hurt her so much could still have a place in her heart. She was perched on the arm of his chair. He took her hand and squeezed it consolingly.

'Lily,' he said painfully, 'he's not worth a single tear or even a thought of yours. How can someone who's hurt you so deeply be any good for you?'

'Ordinarily, Flower,' said Sirius, standing up and stretching, 'I would revel in your sorrow. But I don't feel like it now. Prongs is right; Downs is history now, bitter history. He won't look back and think of you, so you shouldn't look back and think of him. Move on. I'm pretty sure he already has.'

Lily just stared at him with her mouth hanging open slightly, torn between mild shock and amusement.

'I'm off,' he yawned. 'You'll feel better in the morning, Flower. 'Night.'

Peter and Remus followed suit, the latter smiling warmly at Lily as he left.

She sighed loudly, unable to suppress it any longer.

'He's right, you know,' said James quietly, looking up at her. 'Downs just isn't worth anything.'

'I wish I could think like that,' she replied, staring down in his eyes.

'I don't see why you can't,' he murmured.

Lily found herself inching closer and closer towards him. Before she knew what she was doing, she had her arms around him, one hand lost in his dark and dishevelled hair. She pressed her lips gently against his, and, after a few seconds of surprise, he began responding, softly moving his mouth across hers. His right arm found the small of her back and pushed her closer to him; his other arm was wrapped around the back of her neck. She could feel him smiling slightly under her lips …

And then he roughly pushed her away. He abruptly stood up and left her without a word, hiding his face. She sat in his place in confusion, jumping when she heard his dormitory door slam.

Was that all James wanted from her? A passionate kiss? She, Lily, was just a game to him, and he had got what he wanted from her; he no longer wanted or needed her. So he really did only want her for the chase.

* * *

Wednesday 1st March 1978

**A/N: Sincere apologies again. I was quite hyper while writing this. It all sounded reasonably realistic when it sprang into my mind.**

**If you were the compassionate-natured Lily or James and you had a way of getting Downs in Azkaban without anyone else going in with him, would or wouldn't you? Don't forget, he thought he was in l-o-v-e …**


	35. Rebounds and Rejections

**Disclaimer: JKR owns most of the people, places and events you read about … in this story, anyway.**

**A/N: Just to avoid any confusion – not every student in Hogwarts's a vampire :P It's just the one.**

* * *

- Chapter Thirty-five -

~ Rebounds and Rejections ~

It seemed to Lily that James was putting all his best efforts in avoiding her, and she wasn't wrong. He wouldn't speak to her for days afterwards, which was quite an achievement as they sat next to each other in most of the classes they had together. She didn't miss how Peter and Sirius would glare at her sometimes, the former more timidly. Lily was glad they all had Defence Against the Dark Arts together first thing on a Friday morning, although no one was keen on Darktoff; it was the only class she had with all of her Gryffindor friends.

She, Alice, Cassie and Vanessa were the last ones to line up outside the classroom before class. Lily glanced at her watch and saw it was a few minutes to nine. She took advantage of this and walked past her fellow classmates to get to the Marauders. They ceased their laughing and joking about upon looking at her.

'What?' said Sirius coldly.

'I want to talk to James,' she said calmly.

Sirius looked like he was going to say something else, but James lifted his hand and said, 'It's cool, I've got this.'

He followed Lily well away from his friends, his expression carefully composed to betray none of the wild things he was thinking about or feeling.

'Am I really just a game to you?' she said unevenly. 'You've had your kiss and you want nothing to do with me anymore. You don't need to care about me now; you've had the last girl in Hogwarts who is of age.'

James looked incensed and wounded. 'Is that what you really think of me?' he demanded. 'Is that the opinion you hold of me? You think I'm some jack-the-lad whose mission is to get to every girl in Hogwarts?'

Lily didn't say anything. She dropped her gaze, unable to stand the fury in his eyes.

'You think I was lying about all those times I told you I care about you?' he continued, still sounding angry, only less so. 'You think I don't die a little inside whenever I see you upset? You're wrong. Of course I care about you; you've begun to mean more to me than nearly anything else. Well, at one point you were. After all the reformations I made to myself for you, you still think of me that way …'

'I'm … I'm sorry,' she whispered. 'I didn't mean that. But the other night in the common room … you just pushed me away and I don't understand why.'

Stupid tears began welling up in her eyes again. She blinked them back. Seeing this, James's frustration melted away slightly. He chose his words carefully and looked into her eyes deeply so she knew he meant them.

'Lily … I love you,' he said intensely. 'I love you a lot. I have done for an unimaginably long time now. Well, okay, it's only been a couple of years that I realised I love you,' he corrected, 'but that feels like decades when the one you love is right next to you, yet you're still painfully far from her.'

He began playing with a strand of her hair, making her breathing more uneven and colour rush to her cheeks.

'I've always loved you,' he whispered. 'I've never stopped. I tried, but it was too hard. I thought maybe dating other girls would help me get over you. That obviously didn't work out as I'd planned.'

'I don't understand,' said Lily faintly. 'What's the problem then?'

'I love you,' he repeated simply, dropping both of his hands by his side. 'You just broke up with Downs. You're clearly not over him yet. And I don't want to be your rebound. I know I'm worth more than that. I know I love you more than that. I want to be more than just a rebound for you … more than just a rebound.' His voice broke on the last word. 'I want you, I really do, just not this way.'

She wanted to argue with him. She wanted to tell him he wasn't her rebound, she had begun to recognise her feelings for him and he was the only one she wanted … but she didn't. She just swallowed hard and nodded, not even bothering to smile; he did.

He softly said, 'Come on, we're probably late.'

He beckoned her towards the classroom.

They forgot how Darktoff wasn't a morning person. Well, he wasn't an afternoon, evening or night person either, but he particularly hated mornings.

'Late,' he muttered darkly when they entered. 'Tut, tut, tut,' he said, his lip curling. 'That's the Head Boy _and_ the Head Girl in detention this evening.'

'What?'

'But, Professor –'

'Five points from Gryffindor,' he said loudly. 'Take your seats.'

'Professor, it was my fault, not Lily's,' James began, but Darktoff quelled him with the evils. 'Okay …' he muttered, following Lily to their seats.

They got out their parchment, quill, ink bottles and textbook and pretended to pay attention for the entire hour they were studying. But it was pointless, for neither could concentrate. Lily inwardly cursed herself, asking why she didn't keep to the promise she made when she was eleven to not fall in love until her school studies were over.

Lily thought the Potions class that followed the miserable Defence Against the Dark Arts would cheer her up slightly, but she was wrong. Slughorn decided it was time for them to study Amortenia.

'Can anyone tell me what Amortentia actually is, before we get any further into it?' Slughorn asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet, as usual.

Despite feeling gloomy, Lily's hand shot in the air before anyone else's.

'Yes, Lovely Lily?' he smiled.

'Amortentia is an extremely powerful love potion,' she answered. 'The drinker becomes infatuated with the person who slips it to them for about twenty-four hours. However, the potion doesn't actually create love, as no magic can.'

'Couldn't have put it better myself,' he boomed jovially. 'This potion's more than just a toy. Love is too strong a magic to be brought on by magic itself.'

Lily pretended she didn't notice James staring at her from the corner of his eyes. She felt her cheeks reddening deeply, though, and James didn't miss this.

'Now, an interesting thing about this magnificent potion,' Slughorn continued, pacing and staring around at his suddenly eager class, 'is that its aroma is unique to each individual.' He then stepped back to his desk and removed the lid of his cauldron.

Almost immediately, an unbelievably appealing scent wafted around the cool dungeons. Each student found themselves inhaling deeply, some smiling stupidly with their eyes shut tight.

'I smell that new cologne Heaney from the Quidditch team released,' said Sirius dazedly. 'Merlin, I've got to go out and get it.'

'I smell … st – Li – freshly mown lawn,' said James dreamily, 'like on the first Quidditch practice after school starts.'

'Strange people,' Cassie said, although she, too, wore an absentminded expression.

'I smell lavender …' Alice whispered happily. 'Lavender and honey and new parchment …'

'Which takes us back to "strange people"' Cassie murmured.

They weren't the only ones exchanging the aromas they picked up.

'Is that vanilla essence? Mm … I hope there's ice cream at dinner today.'

'What, in this weather?'

'I can smell Moaning Myrtle's bathroom …'

'You _what_? You know that's the girls' loos, right?'

'Of course.'

Slughorn then cruelly lidded the cauldron again, and students' dreamy faces were wiped away immediately as their slouches turned into straight backs.

'Now, we shouldn't really be making these in class,' said Slughorn uncomfortably, 'I mean, imagine twenty or so seventh-years running amok with love potions,' he joked. 'However, I think this class is fairly mature. And it's much better getting the experience of producing a potion first-hand as opposed to reading about it.'

Murmurs of agreement sounded across the dungeons, to Slughorn's pleasure.

And they were off.

The rest of the school day went agonisingly slowly for Lily and James, having separate lessons, but they could breathe when they weren't with each other, as they found out. Alice was stubborn that they were to sit in the common room with the Marauders when classes were over, as Remus had offered to help her with the Transfiguration homework McGonagall had set; Cassie reluctantly followed, because she couldn't do it either.

'I don't want to sit with them!' Lily muttered furiously as they dragged her away with Vanessa. 'I don't need help with my Transfiguration homework! In fact, I've already done it! Alice, get off.'

Alice ignored her easily. They were finally over by the Marauders, two of whom appeared to be plotting.

'Alice, really, _we_ could help you with your homework,' Lily continued muttering, although she was louder than before. 'Why did you seek the help of a _Marauder_?'

She was now aware of how the four boys looked up, although none of them said anything.

'You're going to sit here doing whatever until you have to go off to your detention,' Alice snapped aberrantly.

'I could probably use your assistance, Lily,' said Remus, 'in explaining things to Alice when I can't get the message across.'

Lily smiled quickly, feeling guilty for not being able to hold her acidic tongue. 'That happens quite a lot then?'

'Of course,' he smirked.

'What are you trying to say?' said Alice in a disbelieving high-pitched voice.

'Nothing, nothing,' said Remus quickly and kindly. 'Let's get to work then …'

Alice and Cassie sat down either side of him and concentrated extremely hard on what he was saying. Vanessa was busy filling out a moon chart for Astronomy. Lily sat there uninterestedly, sighing every five minutes and looking around for a distraction, while her mind wondered off to what James and Sirius could have been doing with their low mutters and parchment … and how the former had rejected her …

She stood up abruptly. 'Need some air,' she said quietly, before leaving as fast as her legs could carry her.

'What's gotten into her?' James asked inaudibly.

'No clue,' Vanessa had answered.

Lily decided to visit her favourite school owl in the Owlery. It would be cool and breezy up there. She bumped into a certain someone when she got there.

'We have got to stop meeting here,' said Lily breathlessly, although she was smiling.

'Yeah …' Jason said uncomfortably. 'I see you found a way around anyone going to Azkaban. Well done. I knew you would find a way around that.'

'Really?'

'Yeah … some part of me that was getting told to shut up by the other part.'

A giggle slipped between Lily's lips.

'So what are the Marauders planning for me?' he asked, sounding troubled.

'They're planning something for you?' Lily grinned, pretending to sound curious.

'They should be,' he mumbled. 'You know, after everything I did …'

'Hey, if they thought of planning something,' she said kindly, 'they're not planning anything now.'

'I don't get why not,' he said quietly, turning away from her.

'I wouldn't let them,' she said softly, turning him back around.

'_Why_?' said Jason, sounding frustrated. 'I don't get _why_ you people are … are … killing me with kindness! You're supposed to hate the guts out of me! But instead you just let me go like everything I did was perfectly all right when it isn't, because I hurt so many people.'

Lily smiled to herself.

'What?' Jason said exasperatedly.

'It's you,' she replied. 'You're feeling remorse for the terrible things you had done. Besides, your intentions were, in a sick and twisted way, good.'

'They were?'

'Yeah,' she said gently. 'I feel really touched that anyone would do this much for me. And I think that anyone who would go to such extents should be given a second chance … I mean, you only got a little lost along the way and went on the wrong route with things, right?'

'I suppose,' he said shyly. 'Would you really give me a second chance?'

'Jason …' she said in a broken voice, 'you're a nice guy – well, vampire – but I mean a second chance in somewhere new, some place clean. If I were the right girl for you, I would accept you as a vampire, and I realise how devoted you can be. I'm sorry, Jason.' She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek.

She then turned on her heel to find that the end of their little exchange had an unwanted spectator.

*.*.*

'Moony …'

There was no response.

'Moony …'

There was still no response.

'MOONY!'

'Merlin, Sirius!' Remus exclaimed. 'What do you want? I'm a little busy with Transfiguration here!'

'It's okay,' said Alice cheerfully; Remus gave her a dark look.

'Moony, I'm bored.'

'You're always bored, Sirius,' said Remus, not even glancing at his friend. 'You should have gone with James.'

'What, to send an owl to his precious Mummy and then go to Darktoff's detention?' Sirius shuddered. 'No, thank you. Now, entertain me.'

'What do you take me for?' said Remus, somewhat irritably. 'A circus freak or something?'

'More or less,' said Sirius lightly. 'Whatever that's supposed to mean,' he added in an undertone, rolling his eyes.

Remus shook his head before saying, 'Go annoy Vanessa.'

'I can hear everything you're saying – I'm right over here,' she said curtly, waving her hand.

'Feel free to go right over there,' said Sirius carelessly, pointing in the opposite direction.

'Yeah? Well, _you_, Mister, can go –'

'Vanessa,' said Remus sternly, not looking up from Alice's work.

Vanessa began muttering to herself rapidly. The others caught phrases like, 'Sure, side with him …' and 'Tch, Marauders …'

'Haha,' said Sirius, 'you called me Mister! I'm really feeling the respect now.'

'Yes, Black,' said Vanessa sweetly, 'I respect you _so_ much …'

She waved her wand and pointed it at Sirius, muttering something inaudibly. Before their very eyes, Sirius was fighting off grotesquely enlarged snot with even bigger wings.

'Ew, that's _GROSS_!' Cassie screeched at the very top of her lungs, making Remus think she did some permanent damage to his already sensitive ears.

'What did you _do_ to him?' said Alice, torn between feeling horrified and awestruck.

'Bat Bogey Hex,' said Vanessa smugly, blowing the tip of her wand. 'I was waiting for someone to try that out on. I haven't done it in _years_ …'

It took a lot of time for Sirius to fight off his own snot. He turned to Vanessa afterwards, enraged. She concealed her fear quite well; everyone in Hogwarts knew it was time to start running (and fast) when you infuriated a Marauder. She merely stood up and looked at him with the same haughty expression he would have whenever he got one over her.

He continued staring at her, his eyes looking sinister. He then waved his wand dramatically a few times and said something so quietly under his breath that Remus wasn't even sure he had said anything.

All of a sudden, Vanessa's hair was a brilliant shade of green, too bright to look at upon first sight. Her nose was about five times longer, very pink and had three large bumps. Her lips had swollen to the size of tomatoes and her ears were more like those of an elephant's.

Everyone in the common room turned and roared with laughter at her, pointing and holding their sides; some even had tears in their eyes. Feeling tears well up in her own eyes, Vanessa hung her head low in humiliation. Sirius instantly felt his stomach drop as guilt overwhelmed him.

'Wait, Vanessa –' he began quietly, holding out a hand, but she had already turned around and ran out of the common room, as the staircase to the dormitories was blocked with more Gryffindors laughing raucously. 'Hold up!' Sirius shouted after her.

She didn't even turn around.

Sirius followed her out of the common room, anyway. He may have a reputation as a hurtful prankster, but even he knew when he had crossed the line. He looked along the corridor and saw a door dissolving into the stone wall. The Room of Requirement.

Walking past the wall three times, Sirius thought to himself, _I want to be in the room Vanessa goes when she wants to be alone_.

The Room revealed itself to Sirius. With an air of content, he turned the brass handle of the ornate wooden door and entered the breathtakingly beautiful room. If he didn't know he was indoors, he would have thought he'd just entered a park of paradise. There were fields of jade green grass with a couple of trees, rich in leaves. There didn't seem to be a ceiling at all; when Sirius looked up, he only saw pure white. There was also a pretty stone pathway which separated the fields. On one of them was a pearly swinging bench with Vanessa perched delicately upon it. Her features were slowly returning to normal: her nose was getting smaller and less bumpy, her lips were medium-sized and her ears were only just visibly round behind her chocolate-coloured hair.

He quietly sat down next to her and put an arm on the top of the bench near her shoulder. She had both of her arms in her lap and gave no sign that she noticed him. She looked beyond sad.

Sirius exhaled deeply. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I guess I went a little too far.'

'Yeah,' she said faintly, 'you did.'

'Although green hair did kind of suit you,' he said with a small laugh, playing with a random strand of her hair.

'Whatever, Black.'

'Can we talk?' he asked uncomfortably, watching her carefully.

'We are.'

'I mean … can we come to a truce? No love, no hate. I'm sure plenty of people are sick of hearing the two of us bicker all the time. And I've got to admit I'm pretty tired of being mean to you.'

'And hurting me,' she added.

'Yeah. So … friends?'

Vanessa hesitated.

'You can't reject me,' Sirius grinned.

'Fine. Friends,' she muttered.

'Sweet,' he said. 'So … come here often?'

Vanessa laughed slightly. 'Whenever I need to get away from you guys.'

'Us guys?'

'Yeah. Alice and her curiosity … Cassie and her complaints … sometimes, everyone gets to me. I just come here. When Aaliyah and I had our first fight while … a few months ago, I came up here.'

Sirius knew she was about to say "while we were going out". The atmosphere became awkward … but Sirius was great with awkward moments.

'It's a great place,' he said appreciatively. 'I'm surprised you thought this up.'

Vanessa stuck her tongue out at him. 'Thanks. I wanted a lake, too, but I didn't want to ask too much of the Room.'

All of a sudden, a winding lake appeared between some fields.

'Or you could do it for me,' she giggled.

'That I could. Come on, let's swim.'

'What are you, insane?' Vanessa protested as Sirius pulled her up and dragged her along to the edge of the lake.

'That's what they all ask.' He winked at her. 'Oh, come _on, _Vanessa!'

Without warning, he slipped and fell back in the lake.

'WHOA!' he shouted, bobbing up and down in the water. 'Hel … lp me!' he shouted with water in his mouth.

'Sirius, quit playing about,' she giggled, sitting down beside the lake.

'Help!' he repeated.

When she didn't listen, he swam over to her and dragged her down.

She screamed, but what was the use? There was no one around to hear her. Instead, she fought off Sirius by splashing large amounts of water in his face. Slipping a little, she got back onto the grass and ran off, out of the Room of Requirement. She must looked a sight; her clothes stubbornly stuck to her body and the water dripping off her hair left a stream of water behind her.

'I'm gonna get you,' Sirius shouted after her, chasing her while slipping on some water. 'Whoa, Filch isn't gonna be too happy about this …' he added quietly. He resumed chasing her again.

The Fat Lady didn't even wait for a password. She squawked in apprehension as soon as she saw Sirius and Vanessa, and swung open.

'Ha. Real G's don't need passwords to get in,' Sirius said, having barked with laughter.

'G's?' Vanessa repeated, using some first-years to dodge him inside the common room.

'Gryffindors, Gills,' said Sirius, circling the first-years.

Vanessa rapidly ran to their friends and hid behind Remus, although he couldn't hide her well.

'What happened to you?' Alice shrieked, standing up to get a better look at her friend.

Vanessa didn't reply, but merely ran when Sirius came for her.

'Hold it,' said Alice sternly, holding onto Vanessa (and then squealing at her cold and wetness). 'You, missy, are going to go upstairs and get dried and changed.'

'Why?' Sirius groaned. 'She looks great like that!'

'Because you can see right through her clothes,' Cassie scoffed.

'I was actually thinking about how much of a mess she looked compared to her usual irritatingly neat self,' said Sirius. 'It makes me feel better about myself, you know?'

Vanessa stuck her tongue out at him, but allowed Alice to steer her away. Before they ascended the stairs to the girls' dormitories, Vanessa could have sworn she saw Sirius grin somewhat shyly, and couldn't help but grin herself.

* * *

Friday 3rd March 1978

**A/N: Thought I might shine a little sun onto the story.**

**I've already started the sequel to this! (: Planned loads. It's so sad, but happy. I'm gonna hate writing it almost as much as I'm gonna hate then end of DHP2. Gotta finish this story first …**


	36. Sweet Optimism

**Disclaimer: All credit goes to JKR**

**Freaking out: Deathly Hallows Part II out in the UK today. It all ends.**

* * *

- Chapter Thirty-six -

~ Sweet Optimism ~

'Whatcha writing there, Prongs?' said Sirius, trying to look over James's shoulder. He was evidently bored; he couldn't find anyone else in the entire common room to annoy.

'Replying to Mum's letter,' James said eventually, not looking up. James was always like this when he was writing to his mother – too busy for anything or anyone else. He felt the most important woman in his life deserved his best efforts, and so didn't like being distracted when writing a letter.

'Send her all my love,' Sirius instructed, wearing an extremely goofy grin.

'Sure thing.'

After a few minutes, James laid his quill on the table and stood up, pocketing the finished letter.

'To the Owlery,' he said. 'And then detention,' he added with a groan. 'With _Darktoff_.'

'And Evans. How terrible,' said Sirius satirically. 'I feel so sorry for you.'

'What's gotten into you?' James frowned.

'I am gonna be so _bored_!' Sirius burst out. 'I'd so much rather be in some lame detention with one of Hogwarts's most easily irritable witches than be here with … well, this lot.'

'Thanks, Black,' said Cassie acidly.

'No offence,' he added lazily.

James shook his head and walked out of the common room, headed to the Owlery. But the idea of sending off his letter was driven clean out of his mind by a sight that would have ordinarily burned his eyes.

'… I would accept you as a vampire, and I realise how devoted you can be. I'm sorry, Jason.' Lily stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek.

James prepared himself for a hammering heart and that horrible feeling of blood boiling underneath his skin out of jealousy, but instead he found just his stomach turning unpleasantly. Why wasn't he about to explode out of envy for Jason at that very moment? Lily turned around and froze upon seeing him stood there, an unreadable expression on his face.

'We have detention to go to, Evans,' said James coldly, his eyes not meeting hers.

She quickly stepped back from Downs and, nodding vigorously, said, 'Y-yeah. Darktoff. Right.'

'See you later then, Lily?' said Jason.

James felt his heart drop.

'Yeah …' she replied a little breathlessly.

She turned and quickly followed James who was already walking in the opposite direction. She didn't like his stony silence; it was cold and seemed to bite at her. She fidgeted with her hair all the while they made their way down to their Defence Against the Dark Arts detention.

'I have some work for you to do,' Darktoff said snidely upon them entering, dumping stacks of parchment onto the desk closest to the teacher's. 'You'll be marking essays written by first-, second- and third-years. Those little brats with their poor grammar, punctuation and handwriting … I can't stand it,' he said coldly.

'Some of them have really nice handwriting,' said Lily quietly.

'You leave as soon as you are done,' Darktoff continued as if no one had spoken, talking much louder than before, 'and not a minute longer. Littering the place … I trust your grading abilities as the two of you are finally seventh-years. There is a mark scheme for each essay and three different essays, one for each year. You may begin.'

He left the room as quickly as he could, almost as though being in the same room as two Gryffindors was suffocating him.

James huffed and muttered, 'Just because he's too lazy to do his job.'

'Ah, well …' said Lily. 'What can we do about it? We'd better get started on this lot if we want to finish before midnight.'

'Yeah …'

Lily took the first-years' essays and James took the second-years' papers. Lily sat down at the table, expecting James to take the seat next to her. But he didn't. He sat a table away and didn't even look at her. The silence was slowly eating Lily away, as she tried concentrating on marking the papers. Finally, she slammed her quill to the table, sighed loudly, stood up and walked over to James's table.

'We need to talk,' she said glumly.

'No, we don't,' said James, ditching his quill and leaning back in his seat. 'Listen, I really think it's great that you and Downs have … decided to … reconcile and go back to what you might have had before.'

'But that's all wrong,' said Lily quietly. 'And I wanted to talk to you about him anyway. I was telling him I _couldn't_ take him back, and that there's someone out there who _would_ take him for him. I swear. I would _never_ lie to you,' she added convincingly.

James assessed her for a moment before nodding, not wanting to speak.

'The other thing I wanted to say,' said Lily, 'was that Jason can't be let off. He's hurt so many people. But he can't go to Azkaban either. The system's failing us; we have to take things into our own hands.'

James smiled slightly to himself.

'What?' said Lily. She couldn't help but smile a little herself.

'Has anyone ever told you you're really compassionate?'

Lily felt herself turn pink slightly. 'It's just that everything he did, he did out of love. And I just don't think he can be punished for it. I know I'm going to come off really, erm, Dumbledore-like, but he had his heart in the right place. Can't we at least wipe his memory or something? That could be like his mini-punishment and his poor victims can rest knowing he remembers very little about anything. And neither the teachers nor anyone from the Ministry have to know about it. They'll probably drop investigations when they see there are going to be no more attacks. We can all just leave this behind us and never speak of it again. I don't sound too stupid, do I?'

James smiled again. 'No. I totally understand. And I agree. Don't you think you could give him a second chance after we wipe his memory? He did, after all, do so much for you … a guy like that is really hard to come by. Can you really let him go?'

She thought about it for a minute. Jason _was_ an extremely thoughtful boy, and sometimes he did make Lily feel as though they were meant to be, as if it was what fate wanted somehow.

'He's something,' she said at last. 'And whoever he ends up being with is going to be so lucky. But he's just not for me. I like my guys a little more playful and a lot less serious, anyway. Whatever was meant to be will just have to change. Besides, I don't think I was too healthy for him if I drove him to those resorts. I think this might just be best for all of us.'

'C'mere,' said James softly.

He stood up quickly, making his chair scrape loudly against the floor. He pulled Lily into a hug, which told her they were on friendly terms again. She returned the pressure, feeling blissful for the first time in a few days. Everything was going to be okay.

They continued working on the papers, occasionally laughing at what one of the students may have written; some had confused the qualities of Pixies with Banshees, producing raucous, long-haired flying bat-like creatures with screams high-pitched enough to damage the human ear.

*.*.*

'I can_not_ believe you just did that!' Vanessa spluttered, laughing so hard that she had to lean against the wall for support, clutching the new pain in her stomach. 'That was _rich_! Merlin …!'

'I told you it was a good idea,' Sirius grinned, standing up properly having roared with laughter until he felt nothing but pain. 'I didn't actually know Mandrakes served a purpose.'

'I didn't know the Whomping Willow served a purpose,' Vanessa cried, still laughing.

'I've known that since second-year,' Sirius snorted.

'Oh, yeah …' said Vanessa quietly, her smile fading. 'Sorry. I somehow forget about Remus and his … you know. To me, he's always been and always will be just a normal guy.'

'You should tell him that. It'll cheer him up,' said Sirius gently.

Vanessa smiled at him, standing up straighter and looking under her lashes into his silvery-grey eyes. 'On a more serious note – what are we going to do when Professor Sprout hunts us down?'

'We can run away,' Sirius said in a hushed voice, grinning and using a hand to lean against the wall.

'Where to? I'll follow you wherever you wish to take me, O' Great One,' said Vanessa dramatically.

'We'll go wherever your heart wants us to go,' whispered Sirius.

A whistle from a fifth-year Ravenclaw made Sirius and Vanessa jump.

'Get in there!' he shouted, as his friends sniggered.

It was then that Sirius realised he had practically pinned Vanessa against the wall. Highly embarrassed, he coughed and stood properly, casually flicking his hair out of his eyes.

'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' Vanessa asked quietly, after the Ravenclaw and his friends had left.

Sirius felt his heart beating harder than before. He wasn't used to the feeling and he certainly didn't like it. He quickly asked himself what the normal Sirius would be thinking.

'Unless you're thinking about pranking those fifth-years, no,' said Sirius, internally wiping non-existent sweat from his forehead.

'Let's go,' Vanessa smirked, walking away.

Sirius hastily caught up with her. 'You're turning into a right little Marauder,' he said proudly, ruffling her hair.

Vanessa shook him off. 'I'm under your influence after all …'

'Is that true? So, where _does_ your heart wish to go?'

*.*.*

Things appeared to be getting better for everyone. The victims of the vampire attacks had finished recovering from the trauma and had caught up on any of the school work they missed. Hufflepuff had surprisingly won against Ravenclaw, which meant they were to face Gryffindor in the finals. All of this had made James more optimistic, and, along with Sirius, they became more and more themselves: playful jokers, there to make everyone smile and laugh. They managed to conceal the exam stress quite well. Remus wasn't quite as good. He overworked himself almost as much as Lily, studying well into the night and waking up before the sun rose. Full moons didn't contribute to his well-being. Jason slowly began melting into the background. No one bothered him, and he bothered no one.

Still, Lily wasn't quite at peace. Despite all of the darkness fading away, she couldn't help but feel slightly incomplete. She was getting good grades in all of her classes, she had found a balance with the amount of time she spent studying, with her friends and carrying out Heads' tasks. On top of all of this, she had volunteered to help Hagrid, the Gamekeeper, with his vegetable patch, as summer was well on its way. He would invite her in his hut for tea afterwards, and they would talk about anything – Quidditch, James and lessons mostly.

'It's quite late now, Lily,' said Hagrid, looking down at her from his bushy, black beard. 'Yer sure yer don't want some cakes before yer go? Yer deserve it, been workin' hard an' all.'

'No, thank you, Hagrid,' said Lily kindly, although her stomach protested. 'I have some patrolling to do – I can't leave James alone for even a minute. We all know what he's like.'

''Course,' he said. 'Take care of yerself now. D'yer want me to walk yer to school?'

'I'm good, thanks, Hagrid,' she smiled, getting up, draping her cloak on her arm and stroking Fang the boarhound. 'See you later.'

'Bye now,' he said cheerfully.

She stepped into the darkness, really pleased with her day's work. It felt good helping others, although that wasn't why she did it. In her sixth-year, she and Remus would tutor fifth-years who were serious about their O.W.L.s, but they didn't have time for it now.

She stepped out of the darkness and into the light of the castle. She found a pair of arms enfold her, and a small, familiar laugh in her ear.

'I'm sorry I'm late, James,' Lily said, feeling a smile slowly spread across her face.

'Oh, the minutes of torture without you,' James said, sighing dramatically. 'It's okay, I know you've only been at Hagrid's. I think it's really nice that you're helping him out.'

'Thanks,' she said, slightly unhappy when he let her go. 'Come on. We have some patrolling to do. Hey, have you got everything ready for tomorrow?'

'Of course,' James said blissfully. 'Well, nearly everything. I saved some for you.'

'I knew I could count on you.'

'Of course,' he repeated. 'Remus is one of my best friends. And I want his last birthday at Hogwarts to be his best one yet. I guess we're lucky it's a Friday tomorrow.'

'So shall we get decorating?' Lily held out a hand.

'We shall,' said James, taking her hand. 'Oh, yeah, and about Jason …'

'What about him?'

'If we're going to erase part of his memory, we're going to need to a plan – how and when. And what we do if he resists.'

'I've already got an idea,' said Lily thoughtfully.

'You do?'

'I'll tell you what – the Great Hall will be distracted with Remus's arrival at breakfast tomorrow, right?'

'Yup. That's the plan.'

'I'll take him out of there. No one will even notice us. He'll probably listen to me when I tell him I need to speak to him. I might even ask his permission. I'd feel really bad if I didn't ask,' she added defensively when James blankly stared at her.

'Okay, okay,' said James, with his hands up.

Lily quickly smiled at him, and with that, they began decorating the Great Hall, the Gryffindor common room and some of the corridors in between. Remus was going to feel so embarrassed.

*.*.*

It was the morning of the big day. His big day. He awoke bright and early and headed for the bathroom with a slight spring to his steps, smiling to himself upon hearing the heart-warmingly familiar sound of Sirius's light snoring while feeling a tinge of childish excitement. He wasn't long in there. When he got out, Sirius had stopped snoring. The curtains of his bed were still turned, though. He was practically beaming when he saw the large pile of presents at the very foot of his bed wrapped in a wide variety of colours.

The sun was now rising, casting light on the boys' dormitory. The birthday decorations were thrown into sight. There was a large and colourful banner reading, 'HAPPY EIGHTEENTH, REMUS!' with magical balloons floating high of their own accord. Underneath the banner was an eye-catching, blown-up photo of the four Marauders standing side by side just laughing at the camera; this made the real Remus laugh slightly.

He quickly got dressed and left the dormitories. It was too quiet in the common room for a school day, even if it was a little early, he figured as he finished descending the stairs into the common room. There was no one there besides him. It was just too quiet …

Just then, his secret sweetest secret dream came to life. Every Gryffindor in Hogwarts became Disillusioned group by group and, in unison, they sang him a happy birthday. Well, they tried to sing. Many, such as Sirius, were shouting the words with joy etched plainly on their faces.

Remus's face had never turned so tomato-like as he bit back smiles; James was almost sure he was going to spout leaves.

'Anyone want to hug?' said Remus quietly, his voice shaking with happiness.

'Right on,' Sirius shouted, turning around and putting an arm around James.

'I meant me!' Remus exclaimed.

James and Sirius stepped forwards and embraced their best friend.

'Happy birthday, Moony,' said James.

'Thank you guys _so_ much,' said Remus, patting his friends.

'You can blame Lily,' James added in an undertone. 'She planned all of this. She woke up everyone in every dormitory.'

Lily playfully slapped his arm, before tightly hugging Remus herself. All their years of friendship had led to this very moment.

'Happy eighteenth, Remus,' she said gently, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek.

'Thanks, Lily,' he grinned. 'Thank you, everyone!' he added to his fellow Gryffindors, who all whistled and applauded.

'For all the work you've ever done on us,' said a sixth-year.

Remus waved a hand modestly, although he was very slightly pleased.

'Breakfast, methinks,' Alice chirped. 'Come on. We made sure you have your favourites on your special day. The house-elves were particularly kind about all of it.'

Remus blushed again, earning himself a gentle punch from Sirius. He wasn't aware he was going to blush some more upon looking at all of the decorations on the way down to the Great Hall. There were a few more 'Happy birthday' banners and more photos, some of Remus alone, some with the other Marauders, and a few with Lily, as the two were quite close having been prefects together. When he saw the Great Hall, his jaw dropped. There weren't any more banners or balloons, but right at the opposite end of the Hall on the wall behind where Professor Dumbledore normally sat for lunch was an enormous photo of Aaliyah and Remus together, smiling and laughing.

Remus felt tears of pure happiness around his eyes. Sirius gave him another one-armed embrace and led them to their seats on the Gryffindor table, while James gave him a pat on the back. The birthday boy received many more wishes along the way to his seat; a few friendship groups in different houses even began chanting loudly.

'Darktoff first,' Cassie groaned, quite literally dropping in her seat.

'That's the spirit!' said Sirius brightly, frowning at her afterwards. 'Darktoff can't ruin today, anyway.'

'There's more to come?' said Remus weakly, helping himself to breakfast.

'Plenty more, mate,' James replied.

Lily caught a flash of fear on Remus's face and soothingly said, 'Don't worry. I've regulated their plans, knowing them. It's okay. You're going to be fine. You'll get through the day alive, anyway.'

'I don't know what I'd do without you, Lily,' he said weakly. 'Are you going to sit down?' he added.

'I'll be a sec,' she said softly, 'I just remembered something.'

Making sure no one was looking at her, she went to the Ravenclaw table and, in an undertone, said to Jason, 'Can we talk? Outside?'

'Sure,' he said, sounding suspicious.

He followed her out of the castle, out of the Great Hall, where they were completely alone in the coolness and sunshine of spring.

'Erm … do you have an attachment to this place?' he asked. 'Any reason we're out here?'

'Yeah,' she replied uncomfortably. 'After everything that's happened … _something_ has to be done.'

'What are you gonna do?' he said nervously, taking a small step back.

'Just make you forget,' she said simply, her voice barely a whisper. 'Not everything. Only all of the things you've done. It might make it easier to live with yourself and some of us knowing you've suffered the littlest bit.'

Jason swallowed hard.

'That's okay with you, right?' said Lily, gently touching his hand.

He gulped again and nodded, not entirely meaning it.

She smiled sadly, and pulled out her wand.

'I'm sorry it had to be this way …'

She pointed it in his direction and muttered, '_Obliviate_.'

A moment later found Jason blinking in confusion, looking around him.

'What?' he said. 'Lils, what're we doing here? What's going on?'

'You took me away from my friends,' said Lily, 'to tell me something. You must've forgotten what.'

Jason took Lily's hands, looked deeply into his eyes and said, 'Probably just to tell you that I love you now and I always will.'

He leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

'Jason, _WHAT_?' she burst out, pulling away from him.

'What's wrong?' he said, frowning.

'What did you just do?'

'I kissed you. It's what boyfriend and girlfriend do,' he said carefully.

'B-boyfriend and girlfriend?' she stuttered.

'Remember …?'

'Honey, I think you're the one who doesn't remember,' she said darkly.

'What was that?'

'Nothing, nothing,' she said quickly. 'Erm … should we go back in? It's Remus's birthday, remember. We're going to be missed.'

'Let's go,' he said happily, taking her hand and leading the way back into the Great Hall.

That was a stupid plan, a stupid, stupid plan. How on earth could she have forgotten that, in erasing part of Jason's memory, he no longer remembers they fell apart?

James's jaw dropped when Jason and Lily returned, holding hands. He was quick to realise what had happened when Lily took a seat at the Ravenclaw table, pulling an apologetic face to James.

Lily was in a relationship again. And, worst of all, it was with Jason.

* * *

Friday 10th March 1978

**A/N: I hope you liked a mostly happy chapter (:  
I think someone had asked me who I would cast as Lily Evans – I'd probably cast my BFF Lily Angell; she, too, was kind-faced, had red hair and green eyes. I can post a pic on my profile if anyone's interested and won't try stealing it, because that's kinda creepy … hehe (:**


	37. Lily's Greatest Fear

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the amazing JK Rowling.**

* * *

- Chapter Thirty-seven –

~ Lily's Greatest Fear ~

Lily didn't want bitter history to repeat itself. She didn't want Jason to get jealous of James again and formulate a wrongful plan in order to become her main man. So, hating herself, she spent more time with Jason and was careful not to get spotted alone with James so much, although it was quite difficult with meetings and duties. She couldn't bring herself to break up with Jason without a proper excuse. "You're an insane bloodsucker" didn't qualify when he didn't know that she knew about him.

'I guess fate just wants you to give him another chance,' said Vanessa gloomily one evening as she flopping on the floor by the fireless fireplace.

'You really think?' Lily replied, sounding and looking glum.

'Yeah … you never know, maybe this could really work out,' she said lightly, although she sounded doubtful.

'Whatever the stars might have in mind for me,' Lily sighed. 'Anyway, what about you and –'

'_Don't_ finish that sentence off with "Sirius",' said Vanessa threateningly.

'Okay. What about you and that dark-haired Marauder with the somewhat gorgeous silvery eyes?'

'Gorgeous?' came a deep voice. 'You _must_ be talking about me.'

'Speak of the devil,' said Vanessa under her breath; Lily heard, and high-fived her.

'Keep dreaming, Black,' said Cassie flatly, dropping in a nearby armchair.

'I didn't know you think so highly of my charming eyes, Lillian dearest,' Sirius continued, throwing his bag at the floor and leaning on the armchair.

'Don't flatter yourself,' Cassie snorted, kicking him off.

'And it's Lily. Just Lily,' the redhead said darkly. 'It has _never_ been Lillian, nor will it ever _be_ Lillian, so don't _ever_ call me Lillian.'

'Whatever you say, Flower,' Sirius sighed, giving James a she's-in-denial look.

'Tough day at work?' Lily asked.

'How do you know I might have encountered a tricky customer in Quality Quidditch Supplies?'

'Your levels of annoyingness tend to increase then. That's why you take it out on us.'

'… Oh, please, stop with the flattery. I can't get enough of it.'

'What's the time?' she asked.

'It's quarter to seven,' Vanessa replied, yawning.

'Oh, flip. I said I'd meet …' She broke off upon glancing at James's blank expression. 'I'll just go,' she muttered.

'Good idea, Lilybeth,' Sirius said. 'Be back before midnight!' he called after her.

'Or what?' she called back as the portrait swung shut behind her.

'Is _anyone_ in a good mood today?' Alice asked, sounding disappointed.

Remus smiled quickly at her to tell her he was.

*.*.*

'It just feels _so weird_,' said Jason, closing his textbook with an extremely loud _thud_; Madam Pince glared at him as she walked past. 'I can't remember anything from the past few months,' he continued in a whisper. 'I look into these books and I don't understand a word of what I'm reading! I don't like this. It's like they've been written in a completely different language or something. Oh, Sweet Lily, fix this.'

Lily kissed him on the cheek. 'I'm sorry. I can assure you, you _will_ learn everything again. Hey, all of this extra help I'm trying to give you isn't hindering you, is it?'

'Of course not,' said Jason gently. He leaned in and kissed her slowly and sweetly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

'You're not concentrating,' Lily chimed.

Jason smirked and got back to work, while Lily got on with hers, or tried to. She couldn't help but wonder how long she would have to be with Jason for, when her heart well and truly belonged to someone else. She knew she was tearing James apart. He always had that pained look in his eyes whenever he saw Jason with her, and he wasn't the same even when they weren't around. He was quieter and kept more to himself. He had a lot of self-control; she had to admit that much.

'What are you thinking?' Jason asked quietly, playing with her hair.

'Huh …?'

'When you think you normally have this vacant expression that just makes me wonder about all of the things that are going through your mind,' he whispered. 'So what are you thinking?'

Lily turned to him, not liking how close his face was to hers. 'Nothing,' she replied, in a hushed voice. 'You don't need to worry about me.'

'I think I should.' His lips were practically touching hers. 'You've been acting really weird lately, like not yourself. You've not been very cheery and … you look nauseous. No offence or anything.'

'Non-taken.' She smiled slightly. 'I'm perfectly fine, thanks. Now, focus. You, sir, have a lot of work to be doing.'

'I could use a little encouraging kiss,' he hinted.

She very nearly closed the gap between them until she teasingly pulled away. 'I have to go, it's getting quite late,' she smirked as the candles and torches slow became extinguished. 'I'll see you around.'

'I'll be missing you.'

He blew her a kiss as she left the library.

He was sweet. He was kind. He was intelligent. He was quite sensitive. He took everything seriously. He wasn't at all reckless or daring. He always listened to everything she told him to do. He stopped tickling her whenever she said. He read all of the books she recommended to him. They never fought. He was perfect. Why was she not happy? Was there something wrong with her?

She was so busy thinking she forgot about the trick step as she ascended the stairs.

'Ow!' she gasped, holding onto the rail as her ankle got stuck.

She pulled. She hurt. Her ankle was still stuck.

'Merlin …' she whispered in pain.

She heard a few footsteps and felt warm, gentle hands around ankle.

'Ouch!'

'Sorry,' James muttered.

It barely took ten seconds for him to help her out. She was a little bit unbalanced at first, but James quickly caught her around the waist. It was, typically, another awkward moment, as they stared into each other's eyes as if they were both in a trance. If that was the case, Lily was the first to snap out of it. She quickly stood up properly, avoiding the vanished stair.

'Thanks,' she muttered a little breathlessly as they started walking.

'No problem,' he said, looking equally embarrassed. 'You look a little worn out. Want me to take your patrolling shift?'

'I'm fine, thanks,' she mumbled, pretending to be interested in a portrait on the wall.

'Oh, just kiss and get together already,' said a portrait in a medieval manner.

'Shut it,' said James quietly, backhandedly slapping it as he walked past it. 'I'll just go then.'

'Sure,' said Lily uneasily. 'Thanks. 'Night.'

''Night,' said James, stalking off in a different direction to her.

She hated it. She couldn't have James as a boyfriend and she was losing him as a best friend. If she were to hang out with him too much, Jason would get jealous; if she were to hang out with him too little, they would fall apart – and there just wasn't a compromise. She couldn't make herself fall in love with Jason and he evidently didn't hold that in his power either.

She pushed her thoughts aside and focused on prowling corridors in search of miscreants and Marauders, mostly the latter.

The next day marked ten days before James's birthday and Lily was unsure as to where she stood with him. Was she supposed to gift him with something or completely ignore his special day? She swished around the peas on her plate, too busy in thought. It was better than listening to Alice carelessly babbling about something sweet Frank had recently done for her. Vanessa was many seats away with Sirius; the two appeared to be flirting with each other in low voices. Peter and Remus were muttering to James, occasionally glancing over at Lily in her state of quietness, her dark red hair hanging over her face, shielding her from everyone else.

'What's she doing now?' James asked, not looking up.

'Still playing with her food,' Peter sighed, helping himself to some chocolate pudding.

'Why don't you just talk to her?'

'I don't want to. There's nothing to say. It's not like I've been worried about how withdrawn she's been.' He looked up. 'Pete, you didn't just finish the chocolate pudding, did you?'

'Uh … maybe,' he squeaked.

'I was really looking forward to that!' James whined.

'There's some right next to Lily,' Remus informed him. 'Oh, don't be like that,' he added when James pulled a face. 'Just go over there and ask for it. Jason's not around. Are you _scared_ of talking to her?'

'No,' he said quickly. 'I just don't feel like it. I don't want pudding anymore.'

Remus gave him a stern stare which had James going over to Lily.

'Are you going to have that chocolate pudding?' he asked in a deep, alluring voice.

Lily didn't respond. She moved on from her peas and began playing with her mashed potatoes.

'Uh, Lily? Evans? Lils?' said James.

He slowly reached a hand out and put it on Lily's shoulder. She jumped as though she had received a huge electric shock and said, 'Whoa!'

'Sorry,' he apologised fervently. 'I just came here for some pudding. Are you okay?'

He genuinely sounded concerned. Lily hated it.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' she said lightly. 'I'm not really in the eating mood. Knock yourself out. With the pudding, I mean.'

'Thanks,' he said. He backed away from her and went back to his seat, still worried about her. 'She's really off. I don't her like this. I hate seeing her so down, and the fact that there's nothing I can do about it.'

'Nothing, James?' said Remus, with a raised eyebrow.

James stared back at him, a spoon of pudding suspended in mid-air. 'Moony, my man, you're a genius.'

*.*.*

It was late. Lily was the only one in the common room – it seemed like everyone, including Remus had gone to bed. She huffed and put her quill on top of her homework. The weekends were going to start tomorrow, and she would be free from lessons. But the work would still be there. She found herself being impatient for the disastrous school year to come to an end, although it was her last year.

She was so lost in thought (as she always seemed to be these days) that she didn't hear footsteps getting louder as they approached her. The feel of warm hands against her own brought her back to reality.

'James? W-what're you doing? It's a little late. And you're talking to me …?'

'I'm here to give _you_ a release,' he said, sounding a little like his old playful self.

'A release? Ha. No chance.' She stopped slumping in her chair. 'All the school work … the girlfriends absolutely driving me _insane_ … and then there's Jason.'

'What's wrong with him?' he asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

'I don't know, that's the thing,' she sighed. 'He's absolutely, indescribably amazing to me. He just doesn't feel right and I can't understand why. I should be really thankful to have him, but …'

'He's just not the one?' James said helpfully.

'I guess,' she replied uncomfortably. 'So, what's this release any way? I'm a little desperate, in case you couldn't tell by the fact that I haven't hexed you … yet.'

'Follow me,' he said mysteriously, pulling her up.

'What – outside of Gryffindor tower?'

'Yeah … that was the plan.'

'But what if Jason sees us? No, James, what _if_?'

'You're forgetting who you're talking to,' he said smugly, leading them out of the common room.

'Erm … James Potter?'

'Also the famous Marauder, Prongs.' He brought into perspective his Invisibility Cloak which Lily so adored for its soft touch. When she held it, she felt as though she was holding water; it was an amazing feeling.

She felt a smile unfurl as James put the Cloak over the two of them when they were out of sight of the Fat Lady. They were extremely careful to avoid any teachers on patrol and to try not walking into ghosts and Peeves, the Poltergeist.

When they were finally out of the castle, Lily turned to James and whispered, 'Where are we going?'

'To the Quidditch pitch,' he replied in a hushed voice. 'Wait, why are we whispering? We can TALK AS LOUD AS WE WANT.'

'James!' Lily half-shouted. 'Keep it down!'

'It's okay, Tiger Lily, it's cool,' he chuckled. 'We're completely alone.'

'Is that supposed to make me feel _better_?' she smirked.

'You should feel honoured,' he joked.

'Wait – the _QUIDDITCH PITCH_?'

'Now look who needs to keep it down!'

'But Quidditch, James? What are we going to do there … You are NOT going to get me on a broom.'

James didn't reply.

'No way,' she mumbled. She made to turn around, but, being under the Cloak, she didn't get far before James had a grip on her waist.

'You're coming with me,' he said flatly, leading her in the right direction.

'James – no – I don't want to fly – _James_! Please! Is this your idea of _fun_?'

'Pretty much,' he grinned. 'Come on. We're going to fly to Hogsmeade.'

'No, James, please!' she begged. Her resistance was useless. 'Why can't we use that passageway you showed me before?'

'Takes too long.'

'James, _please_! Please, please, please, please, _please_! James, Potter, James Potter! James …! Oh, come on, pl –'

He turned around on her and quickly brushed his lips against the base of her throat, with a hand in her hair behind her ear. When he pulled away, she was dazed a little and blinking a lot.

'Whoa,' she said numbly, allowing James to take her hand and lead her away.

'Sorry, it's the only way I could get you to shut up … sure had the effect I wanted it to.'

Even in her confounded state, she detected a double meaning in his words.

They only spoke again when the two of them had gotten out from underneath the Cloak and James had gotten his trusty broom out. He then turned to Lily, holding both of her hands.

'Do you trust me, Lily?'

'Of course,' she said immediately.

'Do you trust me with your life?'

She shuffled her feet. 'I guess.'

James stuffed his Invisibility Cloak away and said, 'Then you don't have a reason to not fly with me.'

'I might fall,' she said quietly, looking down at her shoes.

He lifted her chin up so that her gaze met his. 'You know I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you,' he whispered.

She had nothing to say. He pulled her near to the broomstick and perched himself on it. After a moment, she sat down behind him and flung her arms around him securely.

'Holding on tight?' he said.

'Yeah,' she said snugly. 'Go easy on me. I've never flown before.'

'_Never_?'

'Okay, I have flown a little bit before. James, I was brought up by Muggles. And when I discovered I had a place at Hogwarts, I was always too scared to fly. You can't learn how to fly out of a book. It's something you learn by trying and failing … and I've always been scared of failing.'

James kicked off lightly from the ground. Lily found she liked the wind whipping through her hair; it was quite refreshing.

'Has the fear of failing ever prevented you from taking an exam?' James asked.

'No, but exams are compulsory,' she replied.

'Fair point,' he said. 'Flying should be made compulsory.'

'So height-fearers like me can practically _die_?' Lily laughed, looking down into nothing but blackness.

'I don't think you're afraid of heights, Lily,' James murmured. 'I think you're afraid of falling. But, don't worry; if you loosen your grip, I'm here to catch you. I've done it before, I can't do it again.'

'I bet,' Lily whispered in his ear.

'Hold on tight, Flower,' said James. 'Things are gonna get a little more –'

The rest of his sentence was drowned by Lily's scream as he did a triple loop. Such was the exhilarating feeling of flying that even James couldn't help but give out a little shout. In no time at all, they were in Hogsmeade. A sudden thought occurred to Lily.

'James, what are we going to do here?' said Lily, taking his hand and getting off his broom. 'We're not allowed to do anything – we'll get caught and turned in.'

'No need to worry, milady,' he said smoothly, leaving his broomstick in a tiny space between two shops. 'I've got this.'

He put them both underneath his Invisibility Cloak and led the way to the Three Broomsticks.

'At this time of the night?' Lily breathed.

'There's no one here. It's closing. Just be quiet and follow me,' he hissed.

He led the way behind the bar after making sure Madam Rosmerta was nowhere to be seen. He then got two tankards and filled them with Butterbeer.

'But, James, that's –' Lily began, assuming the worst.

'We're gonna pay, don't worry,' he whispered. 'Sh. Rosmerta has ears like a bat.'

'They pick up high frequency?'

'Oh, hush.'

When he was done filling up the two tankards, he withdrew a few sickles and left them on the counter. He felt Lily relax a little next to him.

'Let's go,' he murmured, leading her out of the Three Broomsticks.

'Where to?'

'I'll show you.'

She obediently followed him away from the shops and by the Shrieking Shack, where they sat down on a rock and observed the peaceful scenery without the Invisibility Cloak veiling their vision. Many constellations kept the crescent moon company in the inky sky, along with very few dark navy clouds. An occasional hoot from a distant owl could be heard, but otherwise, the night was quite serene. The rock she was sitting on made Lily feel quite cold at first, but a few sips of the Butterbeer warmed her up. She shivered with pleasure.

'Are you cold?' he asked, in a deep, concerned voice.

'No, no,' she replied happily, turning to look back at him. 'This actually feels quite nice. It's just so tranquil. Do you do this often?'

'Only when I need to get away,' he said thoughtfully. 'Sometimes when everything gets too much, I like to be alone. I can't get that in Hogwarts, though.'

'Tell me about it,' Lily muttered, taking another sip. She then fully appreciated that things can't have been too easy for James; being popular, people always wanting something from him – whether it was Sirius with a new prank or a first-year wanting his autograph. James always had to be there for them and he hadn't, to Lily's knowledge, ever complained. He was amazing.

'You would know what that feels like,' said James, 'you being Miss Popularity and all.'

Lily laughed. 'Me? Never.'

'You're certainly something with the boys,' he muttered. 'And I bet all the girls wanna be as smart and pretty as you.'

In wand light, Lily could tell he was blushing just like her.

'Well, thank you,' she said graciously. 'All those boys don't hold my interest, anyway.'

'They don't?'

'No. They're just a little too … not my type, you know. I'm sure they're all lovely in their own way, just not my type.'

'So what _is_ your type?'

Lily thought for a while, drinking her Butterbeer.

'I'd go for a guy who is mature, but fun … sweet, but not sickly … caring, but not overprotective … and when they tell me they love me, they mean it. Someone who'll actually catch me when I fall, show me there's a little bit of sunshine after days of rain. And that's another thing – I want someone who can open my eyes to things I haven't seen before.'

'Like Quidditch?' said James, without thinking. 'You know, like a new experience.'

Lily smiled to herself. 'Yeah, I guess. Flying with you _was_ pretty fun, I have to admit. Thanks for that.'

'Any time,' he replied lightly. 'What would his name be? I mean, what's your favourite boy name?'

'That's a tough one,' said Lily. 'I like names beginning with 'J', I'm not sure why. It sounds nice. But I've always liked the name Harry. It's cute.'

'Harry?' James echoed.

'Yeah,' said Lily. 'Don't you like it?'

'It's alright,' he commented. 'It just doesn't sound like James.'

'Why are you asking, anyway?'

'Just to make you forget about everything else,' he replied. 'It worked. See, you look much happier now.'

Lily smiled again. 'Thanks, James. What I did to deserve an amazing friend like you, I'll never understand.'

'Er – exist? All you had to do was exist.'

'Hardly,' she laughed. 'You're too good to me.'

He stared at her questioningly, as if he was trying to figure something out – he even had his forehead creased. His expression softened a moment later and he looked down at her rose-pink lips. He looked back into her eyes and leaned in slightly before turning away and finishing his Butterbeer in one. Lily couldn't help but feel gut-wrenching disappointment.

'We should get going,' he said eventually. He waved his wand and both of their tankards disappeared. He pulled her up, laughing at how much effort she had to put into it getting on her feet.

James got his broom back and stuffed his Cloak in his robes.

'Come on,' he said, getting on. 'Flying's kind of fun with you screaming in my ear.'

She grinned, looking somewhat embarrassed, and obeyed.

'Actually, I'm feeling a little bit sleepy,' she said. 'I don't think broom's the best way to go.'

'Sit in front of me,' said James. 'I'll get to deafen you this time.'

Lily laughed as she got on the broom with him. She felt quite snug in his arms, feeling his head resting on her right shoulder. Disappointingly, the trip from Hogsmeade seemed quicker than the trip to. When the two were back at Hogwarts, she was practically asleep.

He was careful to walk her to Gryffindor tower without her tripping over her feet, for she was only half-awake. And when they had finally gotten in the common room, he wasn't a fool enough to try going up the stairs to the girls' dormitories; the last time he tried this, he was a diminutive fourth-year and the stairs had turned into a slide, as they did when touched by a boy.

Instead, he laid her gently on the sofa and gave her his jacket for a blanket. Not wanting to leave her there on her own, he fell asleep in a nearby armchair, savouring the blissful moment. Something in the back of his head was telling him that this was as good as it was ever going to get.

* * *

Friday 17th March 1978

**A/N: I tried keeping this story as canon as possible, but you know what I just found out? Lily and James got together in 1977. It's now 1978. Something this small has made me unhappy -_-**

**Sorry for the slight lateness – been working on the sequel and another story (: It's a lot more fun writing when Lily and James're together.**


	38. The Big Move

- Chapter Thirty-eight -

~ The Big Move ~

Alice was busy entertaining everyone at breakfast the next morning with her highly accurate imitations of teachers. Darktoff came first. Sirius joined in after a while, speaking in the annoying way Darktoff did through his nose.

'Ha, ha, good one,' James laughed, holding up a fork with bacon on it.

'I can show you how it's done,' Peter squeaked, although he was laughing at Sirius's impressions himself.

'Lily? Can I have a word?'

Lily turned around and looked up, her laugh slowly fading. 'Of course, Jase.'

She stood up and followed him away from her friends and out of the Great Hall, ignoring the way some people were staring at her.

'What's up?' she said airily.

'I have news for you, and believe me when I say there's no easy way for me to say this,' he began uncomfortably.

Lily merely stared at him with wide, curious eyes. It was a while before he spoke again.

'I'm moving away.'

Silence followed. Dead silence. Lily was unsure of what to say. She had to work to conceal her delight, although some part of her was feeling a little sad.

'Moving?' she echoed. 'Moving where? Why? When?'

'My parents want to go back to Transylvania,' he informed her. 'It's where they originally came from. My grandma had had an accident, and it just kind of made Dad realise he missed home. Mum wanted us to move after the school year is up, but Dad's quite an impatient man. So we'll be leaving pretty soon.'

Lily nodded, thinking. 'So … what about us?'

'I'm sorry, Lil. There _is_ no us. I've never been a believer in long-distance relationships.'

'As much as I am,' Lily began warmly, 'I understand. It was nice knowing you. And I wish you all the best in Transylvania. Were you being serious about that?'

'Yes,' he smiled. 'It's definitely Transylvania. Thanks, Lil. I won't forget you. You're quite a remarkable person.'

'Thanks,' she beamed.

'Oh, yeah,' said Jason, 'that reminds me. The vampire charm I've had you under – it'll wear off when I'm gone.'

'Vampire charm?' Lily repeated, puzzled.

'Er, yeah. Don't ask.'

'I don't think I want to,' said Lily slowly, although some part of her was thirsting for more knowledge and understanding.

She kissed him quickly on the cheek and walked away, leaving Jason staring after her, watching the way her hair swung behind her. A part of his heart ached knowing that he was going to miss her and that she was better off without him anyway.

'What was that about?' Alice asked, when Lily took her seat.

'I … I think he just broke up with me,' she said, sounding a little confused.

Lily didn't miss how James stiffened slightly; Sirius gave a bark of laughter, noticing this too.

'Just like that?' said Cassie disdainfully.

'He said he's moving a–'

'WOO!' Vanessa shouted, throwing back her hair. 'Seriously? He's _moving_?'

'Where to? Remus asked quickly.

'Transylvania, he said,' Lily answered. 'His father's a little homesick, so they're all going back.'

'When?' James asked coolly, stabbing his bacon.

'He said pretty soon,' said Lily. 'His mother didn't want him to go until the summer exams were over, but his dad's pretty impatient.'

'So _that's_ where Downs gets it from,' said Cassie lowly.

Lily smiled at her, before saying, 'You'll never guess what! He charmed me! He had me under a _charm_! I was wondering why he felt so wrong! I didn't know vampires could do that!'

'Beginning to wonder if I'm part vampire,' Sirius said to a lot of laughter.

This was a new beginning. She, Lily Evans, was a free witch once again. She could kiss goodbye to Jason's control over her and hiding her feelings for … other aspects of her life. She no longer had to force herself to spend time with anyone; her time was now all her own. She could wear what she liked and have her hair however she wanted to have it. Life was looking good from this point in time.

James passed the day in high spirits as well, even though Quidditch practise went fairly terribly and they were running out of time to practise; the big match was barely weeks away, yet James found himself quite laid back. He was feeling quite optimistic, although he couldn't tell why. It was a good feeling.

The rest of the day passed surprisingly quickly. Cassie had persuaded Lily to take the day off school work which they spent sunbathing by the lake, swimming and messing about. James spent most of his day watching over Lily from a distance. He called it 'looking out for her' and 'making sure she won't drown' and 'being at the ready in case the Giant Squid gets her', but Sirius was less evasive and preferred the term 'spying'. Remus was feeling slightly ill, so Peter graced him with his company. It was all good until night-time.

Lily hated full moons. Remus hated full moons. Sirius loved them.

Full moons meant that Lily had to patrol alone while listening to roars, barks and howls outside, wondering how they were and if they were going to be all right. Full moons meant that Remus was in no control of the things he did and the people he hurt. He would awaken the next morning in severe pain, watching his best friends all fake smiles as they, too, were in a lot of pain. Full moons meant that Sirius could bring out his outgoing side more. He loved the sense of freedom that accompanied roaming the grounds and the danger that came with running amok with a werewolf.

It was the night of a full moon. Lily wandered the corridors on her lonesome, flinching with every howl and growl she heard. She often wished she was an unregistered Animagus, just so she could keep an eye on them; they really brought out the caring side of her. She was just hovering around the Entrance Hall when a rat came to her, squeaking and erratically chasing its tail.

'Wormtail, what …?' said Lily, bending down to look at the little creature.

Peter then dashed back outside, leaving Lily to run after him as fast as she could; he may have been small, but he was extremely fast, and it was difficult to see in the dark.

All of a sudden, she no longer heard scurrying. She lit her wand and looked around, breathing heavily.

'Peter?' she called out.

A groan sounded in response, a painful groan.

'Pete? Peter? Wormtail? Someone? Anyone …?' Her voice steadily grew more high-pitched.

'Lily?' a deep voice replied faintly.

'James?' she shrieked.

She searched around a little more and eventually found him sitting down, leaning against a tree looking extremely pained. When she came a little closer, she found he had a tear in his shirt where he had a huge gash in his chest. He was splattered in blood; the sight was quite sickening.

'Merlin!' she whispered.

She kneeled down in front of him and saw he looked quite pale.

'Are you hurt anywhere else?' she asked him.

'Just … my legs,' he gasped.

'Can you walk?'

'Maybe.'

Lily used all her strength to pull him up. She put his arm around her shoulder and began steering them back to school. It was heavy-going, but she finally got him up to Gryffindor tower. She wanted to take him to Madam Pomfrey, but James didn't want to answer any questions.

It was too late for any students to be awake, so it was all right for her to work on him in the common room. She sat him down on the sofa where he closed his eyes, seeming unable to stand the pain.

Lily sighed and began unbuttoning his shirt gently, although it was already torn.

''S already rooned,' said James sleepily.

Assuming James was referring to his shirt, she mumbled, 'I can probably fix it for you. I know you like that shirt.'

'Thanks,' he said faintly.

'I'll be right back,' she said, standing up. 'Will you be alright on your own for a bit?'

'Of course,' he whispered, smiling a little.

James watched her disappear to her dormitory and reappear with a little bottle.

'What's that?' James asked. He still sounded alarmingly weak.

'Essence of Dittany,' Lily replied. 'It should fix you up.'

She made James lie down on the sofa, which he did so with a great sigh of pain.

'This won't hurt a bit,' she murmured, before putting a few drops on James's bleeding wound; he gave a loud roar of pain and started.

Instantly, a puff of greenish-grey gas appeared and faded away. The wound ceased bleeding and now looked several days old; skin had already grown over it. When James moved, he claimed he felt no pain.

'Wouldn't hurt a bit,' he scoffed.

'If I told you it'd hurt,' said Lily as she put the stopper back on the bottle, 'you wouldn't have allowed me to use it on you.'

'I'm a Gryffindor,' said James. 'I'm brave by nature.'

'Yeah … when you're not totally squealing like a girl.'

'Offensive!' James exclaimed.

He got a cushion and walloped Lily around the head with it.

'Uh!' she cried.

She snatched his cushion from his very fingers and whacked him with all the strength that she could muster.

'Ow!' he yelped, as he bent over in pain.

'Flip!' she gasped, dropping the cushion and staring at him.

'Ha, gotcha!' he grinned.

'James, that was _not_ funny,' said Lily angrily. 'For a moment there, I thought I had actually hurt you.'

She folded her arms stubbornly and turned away from him.

'Come on, Lily,' he said softly. 'That _was_ funny. Lily, come on. I'm sorry for being me and playing a tiny _joke_.'

She ignored him.

'Lils …'

He gently put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped violently in recoil and turned to him looking livid.

'So now you're trying to give me a heart attack as well?' she demanded.

'I'm sorry, Lily,' said James fervently.

He sat back in the sofa, still feeling exhausted from the night's events.

'You're feeling alright now, aren't you?' she asked, although she seemed a little cross.

'Yeah,' he answered. 'I've got to admit, I'm a little mad about this shirt.'

Lily sighed and gave in. 'Here,' she murmured.

She brought herself closer to him, close enough to feel his warm breath on her neck. She put her hands on James's shoulder for a moment and slowly slipped his shirt off in case his arms were sore.

'What are you doing?' he asked quietly.

'Relax,' she smiled. 'I can probably stitch your shirt back together.'

'You can do that? Is there anything you can't do?'

She beamed at him. 'Mum taught me when I was littler. She learnt if all from Nan.'

'That's pretty useful,' said James. 'The only thing my mother taught me was to not go around making girls cry.'

'I see she taught you well,' Lily grinned.

James shrugged.

'Who taught you how to fly then? Because they taught you really, really, _really_ well.'

'Thanks,' he said appreciatively. 'My dad taught me how to fly. We used to play pretty frequently in our yard. Those were the days. My parents bought me my first broom when I was seven. They spoiled me so much …'

'I suppose being an only child has its ups,' said Lily lightly. 'Not that I would know.'

'I'm hardly an only child anymore, not now that Sirius has moved in. It's pretty cool, though. I've never had a brother before. It's like getting to be an only child _and_ have a sibling.'

'You're lucky,' Lily smiled.

'I know I am,' he smiled back. 'I've got almost everything I've ever wanted.'

Lily could feel her cheeks redden furiously as his eyes burned into hers, but she refused to acknowledge the true meaning behind his words. Instead, she just looked away from him.

'I should go to bed now,' she said eventually. 'I told myself I'd do lots of work tomorrow to make up for today, so I don't want to oversleep. Are you going to be patrolling or will you go back out?'

'I think I'll patrol for a little bit, just to check the others don't get into too much trouble.'

'Will you be all right alone?'

'I can do things alone,' said James. 'Wouldn't be anything new. Anyways, g'night, Lils.'

'Goodnight, James,' she said sweetly.

She planted a soft kiss on his cheek and left him alone to his confused thoughts. What was stopping the two of them from getting together now? Jason was out of the way. He liked her and it was obvious she liked him. So why weren't they together right now?

*.*.*

'What's all the fuss about?' Vanessa asked, rubbing her eyes, as she stumbled down the stairs of the girls' dormitories. The first thing she saw was a large group of Gryffindors crowding around the bulletin board.

'Hogsmeade trip next Saturday,' said Lily brightly. 'You're up late.'

'Yeah … didn't sleep much. I heard you went to bed quite late.'

'I needed to first-aid someone.'

Lily couldn't help but feel that Vanessa was hiding something from her.

'Hey, do you want to do something on Saturday night?' Lily asked. 'I think you and I need a little catch-up.'

'Oh, can we do hair and nails?' she asked, sounding positively thrilled.

'Sure,' said Lily carelessly, 'whatever you want, just _no_ neon colours.'

Vanessa's face fell. 'But that's … fine.'

They grinned and hugged each other quickly.

'Can I have a hug?' Alice asked brightly, bouncing over to them.

'Missed out,' said Vanessa. 'What're you so happy about?'

'Frank said we could meet up this Saturday,' she chirped. 'I _love_ Hogsmeade trips. It's just the perfect place to be. All the shops … the cosiness … and, hey, you can cuddle up at Madam Puddifoot's with someone special.'

Just as she said that, the Marauders entered the common room and walked past them, laughing about something else on their way up to their dormitory.

'Madam Puddifoot's? No, no, no, that's _not_ the place to go,' James heard Lily say. 'If you _really_ liked your date, boyfriend or whoever, you wouldn't torture them that way.'

Vanessa nodded fervently in agreement.

'Frank doesn't mind it,' said Alice shyly. 'He's just happy with whatever I'm happy with.'

'Aw, wow,' said Lily warmly. 'That's so cute. I hope to have a love like that. Aw, I'm really happy for you, Alice.'

'Thanks, Lil. Hey, I think James has his eyes on you, like, _right_ now,' she said in a hushed voice.

'What? No.'

'Yeah, look over there, but be discreet.'

As instructed, Lily inconspicuously turned her head to look over at James standing by the stairs that led to the boys' dormitories. Lily had to credit him for his slickness; he was animatedly talking to a sixth-year who had just asked him about how the team was, but stole glances quite frequently.

'You're right,' she said softly.

'Still has a thing for you then?' said Cassie, smirking.

'Of course,' said Vanessa, being the one who James chose to confide in first. 'Hey, Lil,' said Vanessa in an undertone so that only the redhead could hear her, 'why don't you ask him to go with you to Hogsmeade this Saturday?'

'You really think I should?' she asked her, sounding a little worried.

'Yeah. You'll have lots of fun with him. You'd be doing the two of you a favour, as well. And you don't have to be afraid of him saying no. We all know he's fallen head over heels for you.'

'Er, right … you know what?' she smiled. 'I think I will.'

It was days before Lily could pluck up the courage to ask him, despite all the encouragement Vanessa gave her. It was Friday – one day until Hogsmeade. He probably already made plans; girls may have had to queue up to ask him. It was in Potions when Lily decided to ask try and ask him. When everyone was busy getting their ingredients out of the cupboard, Lily held James back.

'Er, James, can I talk to you for a second, please?' she asked him nervously.

'You already are,' he pointed out. 'Can I ask you something first?'

'You just did,' she pointed out.

He grinned. 'Touché. I wanted to ask you if …' he ruffled his hair which told Lily he was incredibly anxious, '… if you wanted to go out with me.'

'Like – on a date?' she asked stupidly.

'Well … yeah,' he said, 'tomorrow to Hogsmeade.'

'I would love to,' she chirped.

James didn't look as though he was expecting this answer. He closed his mouth quickly and said, 'Y – you would?'

'Yes,' said Lily happily.

'Great,' he said, overjoyed. 'I'll meet you in the common room at … twelve?'

'Sure!' she said, beaming.

James watched Lily turn around and nonchalantly walk over to Vanessa. He watched her say something to Vanessa, and the two of them burst into celebration, jumping and squealing. Never in all the years he had known her had he seen Lily jump and squeal. He grinned and turned around, feeling happier than he ever had before. He couldn't wait.

That night, Lily and James tried their best friends' patience. In the seventh-year girls' dormitories, Lily was trying on outfit after outfit, not sure of what to wear for tomorrow.

'I think this is a bit too dressy,' said Lily, looking at herself up and down. 'And these shoes are too uncomfortable. I should just go for something more casual.'

'Lily,' Vanessa groaned, 'I don't think James _cares_ what you wear. It's _you_ he wants. He would adore you even if you met up with him wearing sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt with your hair in a messy bun, because he's awesome like that.'

'Thanks,' said Lily happily. 'Next outfit!'

Lily went back into the bathroom to get changed. She came out wearing black leggings under a black and jade-green flowery dress top.

'Too girly?' Lily asked shyly. 'Too floral?'

'That looks _amazing_ on you,' Vanessa said. 'What's his favourite colour?'

'I can ask him that tomorrow,' said Lily. 'So it doesn't look weird or anything?'

'No, of course not,' said Vanessa hurriedly. 'I vote this outfit. It kind of complements your eyes. He'll like that.'

'You think?'

'Totally,' she grinned. 'Now, come on. You need your beauty sleep.'

There was a similar situation going on in the seventh-year boys' dormitories. James was trying to discipline his stubborn hair while finding decent clothes to wear. He was having a harder time than Lily.

'NO,' Sirius shouted, amused; he enjoyed messing his best friend around. 'That shirt makes you look fat. Go change.'

'I think that shirt looks lovely,' said Peter.

'Suck up,' Sirius muttered. 'I told you to change. Now go or I shall change your hair colour to bubble-gum pink or something that entertains me.'

'Reckon Lily would like that?' James asked distractedly.

Sirius rolled his eyes while Remus said, 'The things love does to a man.'

'A man to-be,' said Sirius. 'Three days left of being seventeen, mate.'

'Ooh, scary,' said Peter spookily.

James grinned. 'Ah, stop it, guys. But, seriously, would Lily dig bubble-gum pink hair?'

Sirius threw a pillow at him. 'Go change. Try a blue t-shirt and a blue shirt. I have a good feeling about blue.'

'Is blue her favourite colour then?' Remus asked confusedly.

'I don't know,' Sirius said, blinking. '_You're_ one of her best friends.'

'I'll ask her tomorrow,' said James, going into the bathroom to change. He was determined to make this the best date she had ever been on.

* * *

Saturday 25th March 1978

**A/N: I wish I could go back and rewrite everything to make you guys not have to hang on for so long, just waiting. I've been editing **_**all**_** of the previous chapters. My younger self has the writing skills of a two-year-old, why did no one tell me? (: Mind, back then I didn't have time to proof read. I also made Sirius less player-ish and Lily less irritating. I was too influenced by other fanfics before. Oh, and a **_**lot**_** of things didn't add up. It all does now. Hope you liked this chapter, anyway! (:**

**Bumped into someone I didn't want to on FanFiction. Username changed, just in case. Sorry about any confusion :)  
- LittleRedLily**


	39. First Date

- Chapter Thirty-nine -

~ First Date ~

So … this was it. Lily descended the spiral stairs, her nerves slowing her down. Many questions were pounding in her head. What if, after this date, he decided he didn't want to know her anymore? What if she said or did something offensive by accident? Or what if she did or said nothing at all and put him off?

She breathed in deeply at the very foot of the stairs and exhaled upon finding James patiently waiting, looking around the common room. He looked gorgeous in a sky blue t-shirt and a darker shirt with the buttons undone. A jacket was slung casually on his arms in case he wanted to wear it. All of a sudden, she found herself comparing the two of them to Beauty and the Beast. She wished that was the one fairy tale her mother never told her, even if they did fall in love.

She approached James with a timid smile. He smirked, sensing she was nervous. He, James Potter, made the great Lily Evans nervous.

'Are you good to go?' he asked casually.

'Ready when you are,' she squeaked.

They made it passed Filch and out of Hogwarts, on the route to Hogsmeade in an awkward silence. James wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. All the bitter years of fights and arguments and there they were on a date. How could anyone overcome the discomfort?

'Lovely weather,' he said airily, waving a hand.

_Stupid, James_, he thought to himself. _Why the weather? There's so much going on in the world, what with the Wizarding war and everything, and you choose to talk about the _weather.

'Yeah,' said Lily lightly. 'Not too hot, not too cold; not too sunny, not too cloudy.'

_Stupid, Lily_, she thought to herself. _He knows all of that; he's in the same place as you!_

'You have specific conditions you like?' James asked.

'I like most weathers,' she replied, 'but it's sort of time-dependent. I wouldn't like rain right at the start of a … a … date, but otherwise I love rain.'

'You do?'

'Yeah,' she smiled. 'I like feeling the rain on my skin. It's so refreshing and cleansing. I like how people squeal, all dignity lost, and run inside; I like running in the rain; I'd like to kiss in the rain – I still haven't gotten that done yet; I like snuggling up indoors and hearing the rain pitter patter; I like how green the grass goes … oh, and I _love_ my parents' enraged and worried expressions when I come home soaked through.'

_You're babbling_, she told herself.

'That's really cute,' said James, smiling as well. 'You fancy being a bit of a rebel sometimes?'

Lily grinned. 'Only _sometimes_. Very rarely, as a matter of fact. Also, Petunia hates rain. And I like being different from her – as different as I can possibly be.'

'You're already really different from each other,' James laughed, 'by the sound of it.'

'I'll take that as a compliment,' said Lily happily.

'Speaking of compliments, you look really nice today. Not that you don't always,' he added hastily. 'Because you do. You know, _always_ look nice. Not that I spy on you or anything, because I don't. I just don't remember ever seeing you not look nice. And …'

_You're babbling_, he told himself.

'James, it's okay,' said Lily warmly, pressing his hand with hers, 'I get it. Thanks. You look really nice as well.'

'I'll tell Sirius you said that,' he blurted.

'_Sirius_ picked out your clothes?' said Lily, her jaw dropping in shock.

'What's with the surprise? The boy has good taste,' said James defensively. 'I tried doing my hair as well … no luck.'

'I kind of like your hair the way it is,' she said mildly, messing it up even more, just because she could; any other boy such as Sirius would yell and jump back if she were to mess their hair up.

'You do? You used to always complain about it.'

'I can't imagine your hair any other way,' she said warmly.

'Er … is that a compliment?'

'If you like,' she smiled.

'In that case: thanks.'

'You're welcome,' she said mildly. 'So, what kind of a weather person are you?'

_You worded that really weirdly, Lily_, she thought.

'Pretty much the same,' he said. 'I've always liked the rain and I find it amusing when girls run inside screaming. I mean, it's just water falling from the sky.'

'It also means coldness, wetness, running make-up, frizzing hair … you have "male" stamped all over you if you didn't know all of that.'

'I should hope so,' James laughed. 'I'm a man, after all.'

'A man in two days,' said Lily.

'Why does _everyone_ have to correct that?' James said.

'Who beat me to it?'

'Sirius last night,' he said.

'Why did I even ask?' said Lily. 'Wait, _Sirius_ remembers your birthday? He's terrible with dates!'

James chuckled. '_What_ _is_ _with_ _the_ _surprise_? There's a lot you don't know about Sirius. He's a really good friend, that's something.'

'I've always known that,' said Lily warmly. 'You're so lucky to have such loyal friends.'

'I tell myself that every day.'

'I've always liked that about you guys,' she confessed. 'You'd always stick together. Inseparable. Even with those stupid two-way mirrors I once had to confiscate.'

'I've always been under the impression that you hated us,' he said.

Lily shook her head. 'I never "hated" any of you. I just hated the things you'd do, going around pranking people, humiliating them just because you could. You and Sirius were the most conceited rule-breakers in the entire school. You'd hurt innocent people. But, secretly, I admired how tight you all were. True Gryffindors.' She smiled kindly at him. 'Besides, I've gotten to know you all better now. Sirius is more good-natured than I had first thought, Peter's not as much of a tagalong and you're … not quite the person I initially thought.'

'Which takes us back to – "is that a compliment"?' said James, suppressing a pleasant rush of exultance. He felt touched that Lily could remember every little thing about him and his friends, even after all the time that had elapsed.

'If you like,' she said softly. 'So – what's your favourite season?'

'Well … I like _salt_ and I'm cool with _pepper_ – no, I'm just messing you around,' he laughed when Lily looked perplexed.

They had finally reached the high street of the village of Hogsmeade. Lily breathed in happily, a smile stretching from ear-to-ear.

'So,' said James, 'where do you want to go first? We can rule out Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop if you really hate that place.'

Lily grinned and blushed. So he had heard Lily talking the other day.

'I don't mind actually!' she said hastily, cursing how high her voice rose. 'I'm quite flexible. If you like Madam Puddifoot's, we can so go there!'

'It's okay,' he said kindly. 'How come you detest the place so much?'

'I had a bad date,' she said uneasily.

James took her hand. 'I promise you won't have any of those with me. Hit Honeydukes first?'

'I'd love to,' she said gently. 'Me and Vanessa are having a girls' night tonight; I'm going to need to stock up on sweets.'

James laughed. 'Girls … forever a mystery to me.'

'Don't get me started on the importance of sweets in mine and Vanessa's lives,' Lily warned him as they stepped into the sweetshop. 'I could go on for an _extremely_ long time.'

Here, Lily truly amazed James. She took handfuls of nearly every sweet and chocolate there was: Cauldron Cakes, Exploding Bonbons, Ice Mice, Chocoballs, Fizzing Whizzbees, Pepper Imps, Liquorice Wands, Chocolate Frogs, Fudge Flies, Droobles Best Glowing Gum, Treacle Fudge and Toothflossing Stringmints. ('We need to be a little healthy!' Lily had said defensively when James gave her a weird look.)

The cost was great and Lily had to really fight to make James not pay for it, but it was all worth it. About a fifth of the sweets had been consumed before they had finished going around some more shops. The two talked quite a lot about whatever they could think of: hobbies, interests, likes and dislikes and more.

They were careful with where they went, because everywhere seemed to be filled with astounded Hogwarts students, who would turn around and look surprised to see Lily and James together with no one else. When Lily voiced how self-conscious she felt with all the people staring, James smiled softly and put an arm around her.

'Don't let them get to you,' he said gently. 'They'll probably have lots to say about today, good things and bad things, but don't let them get to you.'

They stood in the middle of the semi-crowded street for a whole minute, just staring at each other; this made it easy for Lily to stop thinking about what everyone else may have been thinking about her being seen with James.

'Er,' said Lily suddenly, coming back down to earth, 'we've done all of our shopping, right?'

'Y – yeah,' said James.

Lily had to suppress a smirk; she just made slick James Potter stutter. Life was good.

'Do you want to go over to the Three Broomsticks?' he asked quickly, trying to cover up.

'I'd love to,' she said warmly.

Lily spotted something unusual when they were in the inn. She nudged James, pointing to a table in the corner well away from them. There was Sirius and Vanessa sipping drinks and looking extremely cosy.

'Check them out,' Lily hissed, instantly feeling terribly like those Hogwarts students who had been gawping at herself and James.

James's narrowed eyes rested on the two for a while. Lily could tell he was thinking hard.

'Er, yeah, let's just leave them to it,' he said quietly, pulling out a chair for Lily.

'Thanks,' she said, sitting down. 'Do you know something?'

'I'll go get us drinks,' James said, pretending he hadn't heard her. 'What would you like?'

'I'll just have a Butterbeer, thanks, James,' she said, getting out her purse.

'No,' said James, putting her purse down. 'This one's on me.'

'But, James –'

'No,' he said firmly, before heading for Madam Rosmerta so that Lily wouldn't have time to argue.

Lily smirked as Madam Rosmerta gushed over James. She caught something like, 'I was wondering where you were – Black's already here!' and 'Very pretty girl. Looks like a keeper. Reckon you can keep her?'

James's voice was far too deep for Lily to hear from that distance. She looked away quickly when James and Rosmerta turned to her in unison, although her furious blush must have told the two something. Lily felt a lot more relaxed when James was back with their drinks.

'Thank you,' she said gratefully.

'No problem,' he replied.

'James,' she sighed, leaning forwards, 'there's something that's _really_ bothering me, something I just _have_ to ask you.'

James pretended to look cool, but caring. 'Ask away,' he said casually.

'This is going to sound _really_ weird, but … what's your favourite colour?'

He looked highly amused as he drank some of his drink. 'That's what's been bothering you that you thought was gonna sound really weird?'

_You worded that really weirdly, James_, he thought.

'So your favourite colour would be …' she prompted.

'Green,' he said without hesitation. 'My favourite colour's been green for a couple of years now.'

'I see,' she said meekly, with a hint of understanding.

'What's yours?'

'It's a tie between green and red,' she answered.

'Your colours,' he smiled, gesturing to her hair and face.

She grinned shyly. 'Well, red's certainly a Gryffindor colour.'

'Gryffindor pride,' said James lightly. 'I like it.'

She grinned again.

They carried on talking about the littlest yet meaningful things until James commented on how dark it was getting outside and that the two should make their way back up to Hogwarts. Dark times had, after all, fallen upon them.

When Lily got up, she noticed Sirius and Vanessa were no longer there. She also noticed James noticing her noticing this. His eyes avoided hers as he stood up and slipped into his jacket.

It was raining, raining heavily. It was so typical of the weather to not be able to make its mind up. Neither Lily nor James seemed to mind too much, anyway. They set off in silence, both still thinking about Sirius and Vanessa, until Lily slipped on some mud. She cursed her shoes as she instinctively grabbed James, who, with the reflexes of a Quidditch player, caught her in time. It was then that Lily should have gotten her first kiss in the rain; something in the back of James's mind told him it would have been a great time to. But he didn't. And neither did she. She merely stood back up, feeling colour rise to her cheeks. She smiled gratefully and they continued walking in silence, as they wouldn't be able to hear each other over the drumming of the rain. Instead, when Lily folded her arms in a weak attempt to stay as warm as she could, James put a tight arm around her. She wasn't sure how much warmer she felt, but she did feel a whole lot cosier.

When they were finally back at Hogwarts and in the warmth of Gryffindor tower, James began talking to Lily.

'So … do you want to do this again sometime?' he asked politely.

'I'd love to,' said Lily warmly. 'Study date next Saturday?'

'Sure,' he said. 'Meet same place at about five?'

'Sounds good to me,' she replied with a little shiver. She edged closer to the fireplace, but James instantly took off his jacket and handed it to her. It was dry now, and extremely warm and James-scented.

'Thanks,' she said gratefully. 'I always get the chills after coming in from the cold.'

'That sucks,' said James bluntly. 'I'm pretty much always warm.'

'I've noticed,' said Lily humorously.

They sat in silence by the crackling fireplace in the fairly packed common room until Vanessa came in a little late from dinner – once again with Sirius.

'Time for some girl time with Vanessa,' said Lily, making to shrug off James jacket.

'Keep it,' he said, 'for now. It could be cold up in the dorms.'

Lily didn't want to tell him she probably had spare cardigans and hoodies upstairs. Instead, she just smiled thankfully and ran after Vanessa to the girls' dormitories. First thing first, though.

'What's been going on with you and Sirius?' Lily asked abruptly, accidentally slamming the door shut behind her. 'James and I saw you in the Three Broomsticks. James looked as though he knew what was going on, which really got me. Well?'

Vanessa blushed as she plopped on the bed.

'Nothing. Nothing, really. I was kind of all alone. Alice was with Frank, and Cassie didn't feel like Hogsmeade, so it was me walking about on my own. I bumped into the Marauders minus James. Remus asked me to join them so I did. In time, Sirius and I got separated from Peter and Remus. I actually blame the crowd in Zonko's. Sirius suggested going to the Three Broomsticks, because Remus and Peter were bound to go there at one point.'

'I didn't see them,' said Lily blankly, blinking rapidly.

'I think you were just a little too busy lost in hazel eyes,' Vanessa smirked.

'Sh,' said Lily shyly, whacking Vanessa with a pillow.

'So tell me all about the big date,' said Vanessa, taking the pillow and cuddling it. 'It's what everyone in Hogwarts will be talking about, after all. I want to hear it first-hand.'

The rest of the night passed by in an extreme girly fashion; painting nails, doing hair, chatting about boys, school, boys, classes, boys, sweets, boys, exams and life. Lily did most of the boy-talk, unable to stop herself gushing about James, which was most unLily-like. She felt happy she could say all of this to Vanessa, who wouldn't be disgusted. Lily felt she could be open of her feelings about James to Vanessa. The brunette was saying that it was only a matter of time before James asked Lily to be his girlfriend.

Something similar was going on in the common room by the fireplace; James was boring his best friends with constant chitchat about his redhead who he had seen more light in.

'So I'm not just a rebound for her,' he said happily. 'I really think she _does_ like me, unless she, like so many girls, is only after the chase. But then _I _asked her out. And she said yes! We went on a date! Did I mention that bit?'

Sirius groaned loudly, cupping his face with his hands. Remus, on the other hand, smiled kindly and said, 'Maybe. But we're all glad to hear you had a nice time with Lily.'

'Thanks, Moony,' said James warmly, before starting off all over again, right from the beginning – everything from the cute twinkle of Lily's jade green eyes to the adorable tinkle of her laugh.

It was true that Lily and James were all that people at Hogwarts could talk about for days – even the teachers would be caught exchanging a 'yes, that's right, Evans with Potter'. There was a spectacular party in Gryffindor common room on the night of James's eighteenth birthday, but still Lily and James were the topic of almost every conversation. The Quidditch Final was drawing near and tension was running high between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and people were still hung up on Lily and James.

'Surprising how no one has anything else to talk about,' said Lily. 'There's a Wizarding war going on, there are _so_ many headlines in the _Daily Prophet_ and all anyone can talk about is _one date_.'

'I guess that's what happens when you associate yourself with James Potter,' said Vanessa lightly. 'Do you think you could put up with all of this?'

'For James?' said Lily. 'Yes. I don't even have to think about that.'

'Are you sure?' Alice questioned. 'If you're going to turn up to Gryffindor's match, you might get shunned by some jealous girls and find yourself trying to get away from other girls who are desperate for tips …'

'I can live with this,' said Lily firmly. She quickly smiled at James who nodded and smiled at her from across the room. He was surrounded by plenty of Gryffindors and wrapping paper and tankards Butterbeer.

'I don't know,' said Cassie shrewdly. 'Sometimes I think that boy's too popular for his own good.'

'Envious, much,' Vanessa laughed. 'Don't worry, Lil, you'll be perfectly fine. When did you say your next date with him was?'

'This Saturday,' said Lily thoughtfully. She turned to Vanessa grinning and said, 'I can't wait.'

* * *

Monday 27th March 1978

**A/N: I've finished writing the story T.T I'm kind of going to miss it, miss you guys. Ending it with a list of questions and thanks. If you have any Q's, feel free to PM me. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, anyway =]**

**ShootinStar: yes, I've made a Pottermore account, made it on the first day, even though I didn't plan to. My username's SparksThorn39. Don't worry; they're varying the times to make it fair on those who don't live in the UK. Besides, there's always October (: Hang in there.  
Hope to see some of you guys on Pottermore! =)**


	40. The Quidditch Final

- Chapter Forty -

~ The Quidditch Final ~

Classes were a lot brighter when Lily was friends with James and Sirius with Vanessa. They could muck around, have fun and study hard all at the same time; Sirius called this the Marauder's charm.

Lily and James's second date approached closer and closer. Lily was looking forward to seeing more of James; he had been keeping the Gryffindor Quidditch team busy with practices every day or night after his birthday, including the day of their date.

'Good job, guys,' said James loudly as the team flew back to the ground alongside him. 'We're going to _flatten_ Hufflepuff in the final. Joe, how's your arm now? You hit that Bludger just a little too hard back there.'

'I'm all good now, thanks,' Joe replied.

'Are we really going to win this?' Kelly Bell asked James timidly when they had finished getting changed in the changing rooms.

James looked down at Kelly. She was very insecure for a fourth-year, it was quite cute. 'Don't worry about a thing, Kells,' said James. 'You're a brilliant Chaser; of course we're going to win this. Tell me – are your parents as good at playing Quidditch as you are? You must have learnt all your moves from somewhere.'

Kelly giggled and blushed. 'My dad used to play Quidditch until he once fell of his broom and injured his arm. He's been too frightened to play ever since.'

'I'm sorry to hear that,' said James sincerely as they stepped out of the changing rooms.

'But I learnt my moves from _you_, actually,' Kelly continued. 'I used to watch you carefully during all of the Gryffindor matches before I tried out myself.'

'I'm flattered,' James grinned.

'I just wish I could have as much confidence as you,' she sighed sadly.

'We can work on that,' James smiled. 'I should really get going.'

'You can't be this eager to do homework,' said Kelly. 'Must be a certain flower you're keen to see.'

James shrugged, grinned and ran off as fast as he could. He quickly showered in the Prefects' bathroom and rushed to Gryffindor tower and to the boys' dormitories where Peter and Remus were lounging around. Remus was upside down hanging off his bed reading a book. He looked a little red, but otherwise unaffected.

'In a rush?' Peter asked lazily.

'Can't keep Lily waiting,' James said, applying some cologne and attempting to comb his stubborn hair. He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet with happiness.

Peter and Remus laughed at the changed man standing in front of them.

'So where's Padfoot?' he asked.

'Ah, you know him,' said Remus, looking up from his book, 'April fool's and all – he'll be pulling pranks on Slytherins and entertaining Gryffindors. That reminds me – he got you some flowers.'

James blinked, dropping his comb. 'He got me some flowers?' he asked blankly.

'For you to give to Lily from you,' Peter added. 'He knew you'd forget the flowers for the second date.'

James raised an eyebrow. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say he did something to them.'

James picked up the flowers – lilies and roses of various colours – and shook them roughly. A few baby leaves fell from the bunch of flowers, but otherwise, nothing else happened.

'Don't do that,' said Peter. 'You'll ruin them for her.'

'Can't you accept that Sirius can do something nice for a change?' Remus asked, sounding quite amused.

'Yes,' said James slowly, 'if it's not April fool's. Come on, you've known Sirius for as long as I have. And it's _April fool's_ day.'

'People can change,' said Remus fairly. 'Just look at you.'

James looked thoughtful before shaking himself. He pulled out the Marauders Map from the draw of his bedside table and tapped it with his wand, muttering, 'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good.'

His eyes fell upon the Gryffindor common room, where he saw a minuscule dot labelled "Lily Evans". 'I should really get going. She's waiting for me downstairs. Later, guys,' he said.

He tapped the map, murmuring 'Mischief managed', and rushed energetically down the stairs to the common room where he saw Lily awaiting his arrival. She looked extremely elegant in a casual yet pretty white dress, with part of her hair clipped back with an ivory butterfly.

'Whoa,' said James upon reaching her. 'Looking beautiful. Shall we?'

He offered her an arm.

Lily laughed. 'We shall.' She linked his arm into his and they headed for the library.

'Oh, yeah, these are for you,' said James, handing her the bunch of flowers.

'Did _you_ get these for me?' Lily asked, accepting them.

'Well … yeah,' he replied, pulling up a chair for her.

'Thanks,' she said. She smelled a deep red rose which looked the same colour as her hair. She squealed barely a second later as a jet of water shot out from that very rose and got every inch of her face and parts of her hair.

'Er, okay, it was Sirius,' said James defensively, dropping into the seat next to Lily, 'all Sirius, I swear.'

Lily still looked mad.

'Er … happy April fool's day?'

'James. Potter,' said Lily firmly. 'You accepted _flowers_ from _Sirius Black_, the great, conscienceless _Marauder_?'

'Moony and Wormtail insisted!' he said hurriedly, cracking under her wrath.

'Of course they would!' said Lily. 'They're Peter and Remus. Peter does all of Sirius's bidding and Remus is far too kind and trusting.'

'I'm sorry,' James laughed. 'I should've known. But still … they're pretty flowers, right? You like lilies and roses, don't you?'

Lily softened up. 'Yes. I do. Is this a Marauder thing – knowing and using people's preferences to win them over?'

'I've got to admit, it does come in handy,' said James, 'but I wouldn't think about it as winning you over.'

Lily smiled before saying, 'You looked a little trouble before. What was up?'

'You won't understand,' said James tiredly, running a hand through his hair.

'Try me,' said Lily.

'It's Quidditch stuff,' James said. But when he started, he couldn't stop. Lily seemed to have that effect on him – it was like he could tell her anything. 'Practice was good today. The team kept joking around, which is perfectly acceptable now. The match's coming up. The team's in great shape, except Kelly Bell, fourth-year chaser. She plays great, but she's got this problem with her confidence, kind of like Remus. And then I can't help but worry about what'll happen if we _don't_ win. This is my last chance of getting it right, winning the Cup. I don't want to lose this, I really don't. If we win the Finals, I'll be happier than any Quidditch Captain has _ever_ been, I swear.'

A small smile managed to make its way onto Lily's face when James was done. 'I can talk to Kelly. Boosting people's confidence is one of my very few specialties. And, James, the way you've been training the team – I'm quite sure you _will_ win, Gryffindor will win. I've never believed anything as much as I believe that. McGonagall will be more than happy to keep the Cup. Plus, I'm not sure about how hard Hufflepuff have been training.'

'What do you mean?' James asked distractedly.

'The Hufflepuff Captain, Savannah Abbott – she hasn't been training her team as hard as you have,' said Lily. 'If all of those reassurances aren't enough for you, just know that I'll be there in the crowd cheering you on.'

She took James's hand and gave it a short and tight squeeze. He returned the pressure, smiling slightly.

'Anyway,' he said suddenly, 'can I be of any assistance to you and your ever-growing tower of homework?'

They studied and had fun in the library way past dinnertime. In fact, Madam Pince had to kick the two out of the library as she extinguished all of the lamps. Lily waited outside the library while James rushed upstairs to get his Invisibility Cloak. When he returned, the two snuck downstairs to the kitchens where they were served by many eager house-elves. They had their own tiny table, candles, delicious food … it really was a date to remember.

*.*.*

The next week found tension at his highest. The Slytherins were supporting Hufflepuff, eager to see Gryffindor fall. Most Ravenclaws were sitting on the fence. Some, such as Camilla Rawlins, made it clear that they were on Hufflepuff's side by shouting, booing and hissing in the corridors. But to James, it hardly mattered, when all of the encouragement he received was greater than all of the hindrance. All he really needed was for Lily to be there in the stands along with his best friends and everything would be all right.

The day of the match found the Great Hall packed at breakfast, although it was quite early. Many students wanted to cheer on their team before the match started. James quickly scanned the crowd in search for a certain redhead. He didn't find her. He sat down next to Kelly with the rest of the team. She looked a lot cheerier than she had done before.

'How're you feeling about the match?' James asked her, helping himself to some toast.

'Much better,' she said enthusiastically, looking up at the ceiling, today quite cloudy. 'Lily Evans – you know, Lily Evans – of course you know Lily Evans – she had a few words with me. Well, loads. She's great, you know! I wish she was in my year and we were best friends. She told me lots of nice things, like how I can do anything if I put my mind to it, and how I shouldn't let the fear of falling keep me from flying. Merlin, you're one lucky guy.'

'And she is one amazing girl,' James said under his breath. 'Have you seen her anywhere?'

'Um … I don't think I did,' said Kelly, drinking some pumpkin juice. 'I didn't see her on my way down. I'm sure she'll be here. Maybe she got caught up in something else.'

'Yeah … maybe …' James said vaguely.

He didn't have time to think about Lily much as his best friends came around to give him a bit of well-needed support. In no time at all, they had to head over to the changing rooms. They were swarmed by crowds as they made to leave. Students wanted to wish them well and tell them everything was going to be all right.

The Gryffindor team looked extremely pale and sickly. They had all gotten changed and were waiting for Madam Hooch, the referee, to call them to the pitch. James had to man up and give his team a little speech to make them all feel better. If he couldn't make them feel better, no one could.

'Weather's not looking too bad,' James muttered to himself. 'No sun to impair vision … looks like it might rain, though … All right, team,' he said in a more serious voice. 'This is it. We've been training all year and it's brought us to this moment. We are going to go out there and show them how our constant training will pay off. I _know_ we've got this Cup in the bag. I'm not being cocky; I just have a _lot_ of faith in us.

'Nathan, you're probably the most _brilliant_ Keeper I've ever tried out, and we had some pretty good ones last year. Will, Joe – you two make a great pair of Beaters. You go together like … like … -'

'Kind of like you and Sirius Black,' Will finished, looking proud.

'You could say that,' James grinned. 'Brothers. Angela and Kelly – you give us Chasers a great name. I honestly couldn't be happier with my selection. You _will_ make us proud. And, Perry, I'm not sure how many times I've told you this in the last few practices, but you're one heck of an _amazing_ Seeker. I'm sure you'll win us this.'

'With your help, of course,' Perry added.

'Yeah, you've been an amazing Captain for the past few years,' said Angela fervently. 'I don't reckon I'd be as good as you say I am if it hadn't been for all of your practises.'

'I think that applies to all of us,' said Kelly girlishly. 'I'm really going to miss you next year, James. If I make it back onto the team, that is.'

'Group hug methinks,' said Perry somewhat tearfully.

They all did as Perry said. The group hug was only broken when they were sure it was time for them to leave. And so they were off. This was James's last match at Hogwarts. He was determined to make it all right.

Leon Jordan was once again commentating.

'Aaaand here's the Gryffindor team, same as usual – Wood, Dawes, King, Dowling, Bell, Smith aaaand _Potter_,' Leon was saying into the megaphone. 'We'll finally get to see just how hard Potter's been training his team.

'And on the Hufflepuff team, we have Stoner, Seacrest, O'Neill, Andrews, Harris, Prakash aaaand _Abbott_!'

Upon Madam Hooch's say-so, James and Savannah met up halfway across the pitch to shake hands. James stole a glance at the crowd. He couldn't find Lily in the front row.

'Mount your brooms on my whistle,' Madam Hooch said loudly and clearly.

At Hooch's whistle, the match started. The Quaffle and Bludgers were released before the Snitch, which zoomed away and out of sight. Leon was off with his biased commentating; McGonagall, although unhappy, didn't even bother telling him to commentate otherwise.

It was barely five minutes in that Jordan announced the score has thirty-thirty. James couldn't focus properly as he kept scanning the crowd for Lily. Even despite everything she told him, he couldn't help but feel somewhat dependent on her support. Where was she?

*.*.*

'Vanessa, come _on_,' Lily groaned. 'The match has already started. We're supposed to be out there supporting James! And you're here trying to put an outfit together.'

'I'm not the one who made today laundry day,' Vanessa wailed. 'I've got _nothing_ to wear!'

'It's not like anyone's going to notice if you wear something horrible! Not that you ever wear anything horrible,' Lily added quickly upon looking at Vanessa's shocked expression. 'Come _on_! I bet Gryffindor's already halfway to victory! James will notice I'm not in the crowd, I'm sure of it. Vanessa, please! Just wear something of mine!'

'I don't want anyone mistaking me for you,' Vanessa moaned.

Lily looked at her best friend and then at herself, before flatly saying, 'Honey, you're a brunette with beautifully tanned skin. I'm a redhead with_out_ beautifully tanned skin. We-cannot-be-mistaken-for-one-another. Now, come _on_! Ordinarily, I would say friends come first, but James _is_ my friend, and if you don't get ready soon, I'm going without you!'

Vanessa wailed some more. 'You can't do that! Look, Sirius is going to be out there – in the crowd. I'm going to be standing _close_ to him. I have to dress to impress! I just feel so self-conscious around him …'

Lily just came up with a bright idea. 'You know what _I _think will impress him? Gryffindor colours. I'm sure he appreciates Gryffindor pride. Throw on anything red and gold with your Gryffindor scarf and let's _go_.'

It took fifteen minutes for Vanessa to get out of her pyjamas and another ten for them to take the shortcut from the seventh-floor corridor, down all the stairs, out of the castle and up to the stands with all of the other Gryffindors. The chanting was quite deafening. Lily and Vanessa managed to push past students and get to the front with three of the other Marauders; a fifth-year girl gave her an extremely filthy look.

'How's he doing?' Lily shouted, ignoring her completely.

'He's okay, I guess,' said Sirius. 'He's been a little bit – hang on, where've you been?'

'Long story,' said Lily flatly, 'beginning and ending with this diva.' She indicated to Vanessa who was pretending to be absorbed in the match.

Just then, Leon Jordan shouted the score. 'And Rhea Prakash scores again! That makes it one hundred and fifty to ninety! Hufflepuff's in the lead by sixty points!'

'Say WHAT?' Lily yelped. 'Gryffindor's losing? No …!'

'And to Hufflepuff,' said Sirius darkly. 'James isn't focusing properly. It's like his mind it somewhere else. But we're at an advantage anyway.'

'We are?' Peter squeaked. 'I've been cheering James on for nothing when we're going to win anyway?'

'I didn't say that,' said Sirius. 'It's just that the Hufflepuff seeker Sonny Seacrest can't catch the Snitch until Hufflepuff have scored more. So we're all counting on li'l Dawes to catch the Snitch first. I don't know what James was thinking, giving a third-year this much pressure …'

'I have faith in James's choices,' said Lily simply.

'You would though, wouldn't you?' said Sirius, grinning suddenly.

Lily slapped his arm. 'I didn't mean that.'

'I know,' he said wickedly.

Lily didn't retort, for at that moment, her eyes caught James's. He froze for a split second and then got back into the game with slightly more enthusiasm than before. Lily found herself revelling in Leon's disappointment as he groaned on about Gryffindor's goals, mostly by James Potter and Kelly Bell; Angela served as the person passing the Quaffle from one person to the other.

It was drizzling lightly by the time the score came to a hundred and eighty to both teams. If this were a match against Slytherin, there would be a lot of fouls at this point, but this was Hufflepuff, who played fair. The game was going smoothly until Leon put everyone off.

'Seacrest has halted mid-flight,' Jordan shouted, '_has she seen the Snitch_? OH, she's diving, diving, diving … ah, false alarm, everyone.'

Seacrest's distraction worked; Perry was put off in his search for the Snitch.

'Perry,' James shouted to him, 'get back to work. Seacrest's just trying to put you off! Come on, you can find the Snitch.'

Perry flew closer to James, looking upset. 'James, it's been ages and no one's seen even a golden glint of the Snitch. Are you sure they released it? Or am I just too unskilled?'

'Perry, if I didn't think you could win us a match,' said James, 'I wouldn't have put you on the team. So what if Leon Jordan thinks you're a funny choice in Seeker? This is your chance to prove him wrong. You can do that for us, right?'

Perry looked determined as he nodded. He flew off near to the centre of the pitch and glanced around intently. James looked in Lily's direction. She beamed and gave him two thumbs up, mouthing. 'Good job'. James nodded in return and resumed his goal-scoring streak, also making sure that Kelly was doing all right.

'OH!' Jordan was shouting, almost making Angela drop the Quaffle. 'It looks like Dawes _and_ Seacrest have spotted the Snitch – _at the same time_! Just watch the two flying like bullets! Who's going to get to the Snitch first?'

James, distracted, looked down and saw two tiny figures on brooms flying very, very speedily alongside each other. Seacrest had her bronze hair flying behind her. She kept nudging Perry, trying to push him to one side.

'PUSH HER BACK, PERRY!' James yelled. 'GO ON!'

With encouragement from more of his teammates, Perry gave Seacrest a huge push and made her go off course. Riding his broom with one hand, he used the other to reach forwards towards the Snitch. James, Angela and Kelly used this distraction to score a few more goals, until –

Everyone seemed to inhale at once; all sound ceased to exist. Perry's hand inched closer and closer to the Snitch … inches began turning into centimetres … to millimetres – his fingers enclosed around the Snitch, but the rain made it slippery – he tried to catch it again –

'PERRY DAWES HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH!' Jordan shouted over the explosion of cheers. 'The score is now THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY TO ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY. GRYFFINDOR WINS!'

Both teams flew back to the ground, one more delighted and fast than the other. Perry found a swarm of Gryffindor supporters enveloping him, teammates first. James managed to break away from all of them in order to accept the grand Quidditch Cup from Dumbledore himself, who wore a large smile on his face. McGonagall wasn't far from him, looking absolutely ecstatic. People began surrounding him instead, cheering, crying, shouting, making James feel even more elated. But no sight made him feel better than that of his friends fighting their way to him to congratulate him. Sirius took the Cup off him, just to hold it in the air for himself. And, all of a sudden, James found himself staring at Lily directly in her eyes. It was raining a lot heavier now; her hair was plastered to her face, but he still thought she looked beautiful.

'I know I was late,' she shrieked over the noise, 'but I swear I have an excuse. See –'

'Sh,' said James.

He brushed a raindrop off her cheek with a finger before leaning in to kiss her full on, motivated by the ecstasy in the air. He became completely oblivious to the fact that there were hundreds of onlookers, teachers included, most of whom had their mouths hanging wide open. All he knew was that she was smiling under his lips as she put his arms around him. This right here was bliss, sweet bliss; they couldn't even feel the coldness of the rain.

Eventually, when they broke apart, James noticed many girls had broken down, hysterically sobbing – and he was sure this wasn't over Gryffindor's victory. He also saw some boys looking disappointed – a certain greasy-haired Snape among them, oddly enough. But then there was Sirius, who couldn't look happier as he wolf-whistled and ruffled James's drenched hair, and Remus who was beaming from ear to ear. Even many teachers who had been watching the match looked shocked and thrilled.

But it didn't matter what anyone else was thinking about at that moment, James thought, as he put an arm around Lily and watched Perry hold up the Cup (which, incidentally, looked far too heavy for him). All that mattered was that Gryffindor had won and James could celebrate all of this with his best friends and girlfriend. Victory would forever be his and no one – no nasty teacher or former enemy – could take this away from him.

* * *

Saturday 8th April 1978

**A/N: So … Quidditch. That can go next to 'kisses' on the long list of things I suck at writing haha. Hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless (:**


	41. Of Secrets and Lies

**A/N: Apologies for the late update! I hate this chapter, like the rest of the story, so much; it took me too long to write. I had another to put up, but I hated that too … enjoy, anyway.**

* * *

~ Chapter Forty-one -

~ Of Secrets and Lies ~

Professor McGonagall was so pleased about Gryffindor's victory that she appealed to the Headmaster to allow everyone in third-year and above another Hogsmeade trip after the exams in June. Until then, however, the fifth-years and seventh-years had exams. The pressure was on. Even Sirius, who was normally quite laid-back, felt stressed, often snapping at first-years who were talking too loudly in the common room. Remus suffered more than any of them, depriving himself of sleep to cram in more facts, and coping with the pain of monthly transformations on top of that.

Most of those in fifth- and seventh-year found themselves succumbing to the need to resort to using magical products to sharpening the brain, increasing focus and wakefulness and help speeding thoughts which didn't really work. On top of all the work they already had, Lily and James found themselves – and a few hard-working prefects – chasing down students who were selling fake products and handing out detentions. Products included Baruffio's Brain Elixir and powdered dragon claw.

'That brain elixir stuff sounds like it could work,' said James lightly, observing the bottle he had just confiscated off a nasty-looking sixth-year.

'Don't you dare, James,' said Lily warningly. 'None of these are good for anything. Besides,' she said, taking the bottle from him before he could react, 'this looks like Hippogriff urine; I've seen enough of that in Care of Magical Creatures.'

Although he didn't get any on his hands, James hastily wiped them on his cloak and from then on, didn't doubt that any products would help. He snatched it back from Lily and offered Sirius some at the end of their shift when they returned to the common room, but Lily, sleep-deprived and exhausted, whipped out her wand and muttered, '_Evanesco_,' before explaining to an outraged Sirius what it really was.

Others weren't as worried about the exams, mostly the Slytherin seventh-years. They would often be found lurking in packs in fairly empty corridors, muttering darkly amongst each other, as if they were planning something. James avoided them whenever possible for this reason, making detours which greatly amused Sirius.

'Why?' he laughed as they made their way down to breakfast one morning.

'Snivellus,' said James. 'If he hexes me in front of Lily, I'll hex him back, won't I? But she won't like that.'

'Yeah, but –'

'It doesn't make much sense to me either,' said James wearily as he dropped in a seat on the Gryffindor table.

'Ever the cheerful one,' Alice chirped.

'What's up?' Cassie asked, although she sounded as if she couldn't care less.

'Slytherins,' Sirius answered darkly, helping himself to some bacon.

'What about them?' Alice asked.

'That's just it,' said James. 'We don't know.'

'Then why're you getting so worked up about it?'

James looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before saying, in an undertone, 'Do you remember what happened after our OWLs? The Slytherins in our year and every year above planned to ambush us Gryffindors?'

'Because you, Black, Peter and Remus bewitched most of their belongings to attack them every few seconds, yes,' said Alice.

'They started it,' said Sirius hotly. 'They –'

'That doesn't matter right now,' said James quickly, looking around for eavesdroppers again. 'My point is, I think they might be planning something again.'

'What gives you that idea?' Alice demanded.

'They keep going around in close-knit groups,' said James.

'Slytherins do that a lot,' Cassie pointed out. '_People_ do that a lot. Merlin, Potter, you're so paranoid.'

'You don't agree with her, do you, Alice?' said James, his tone slightly imploring.

Alice took her time answering, her eyes focused on the goblet in front of her. 'I don't think you're _paranoid_,' she said slowly, still looking at the goblet, 'but I don't think the Slytherins are up to anything, either.' She hurried on when James gave a loud 'tut': 'I think you're determined to find fault in Slytherins just because Snape's one of them.'

'And that's not a good enough reason?' Sirius enquired, sounding solemn.

'No, it's not,' said Alice simply. 'If Lily were here right now, she'd –'

'Where is she?' James asked. 'And Vanessa?'

'Still sleeping,' said Alice. 'They were up for a lot of last night testing each other.'

'Testing my patience as well,' said Cassie, rolling her eyes.

She did look extremely tired to James, who knew the feeling. 'Peter and Remus are the same,' he told her. 'Moony's got books strewn all over the floor – and he's normally the tidy one.'

'He's such a Lily,' groaned Cassie.

'When are they coming down?' James asked, his voice betraying a hint of impatience as he looked over to the Entrance Hall.

Alice beamed at him approvingly, although her words were quite stern. 'Give her a break. If you miss her so much, revise with her –'

The rest of her sentence was drowned by the morning owls rushing into the Great Hall to deliver post. James didn't bother looking up, for he knew his mother wouldn't reply so quickly to his last owl. Sirius scanned the ceiling of the Great Hall for an owl, although he knew of no one in the world who would owl him who he wasn't already in the company of.

'Prongs, you have an owl,' said Sirius suddenly, as a very petite barn owl landed near them.

'What?' said James stupidly, coming out of a reverie, undoubtedly starring Lily.

Sirius grinned and freed the owl of a small, envelope-less letter, passing it to James.

James frowned at it before unfolding it.

_wE hAvE yOuR MUdBlOoD. If YoU WaNt HeR BaCk, CoMe tO ThE EdGe oF ThE FoReSt aLoNe In a fEw MiNuTeS oR ElSe sHe aNd tHe gIlLs gIrL GeTs iT._

James gaped at the parchment. It wasn't written in normal ink, but cuttings from a newspaper, so as to disguise the handwriting. Instinctively, he looked at the Slytherin table, which held fewer students than any of the other House tables.

'Something up, mate?' Sirius asked casually, draining his goblet of pumpkin juice.

Wordlessly, James passed Sirius the letter, feeling his jaw clenched.

'Lily and Vanessa?' Sirius said under his breath, his eyes wider than before.

Alice and Cassie were completely oblivious to what James and Sirius were discussing. Not registering their facial expressions, Alice said, 'See you later,' to the pair of them and marched off with Cassie out of the Great Hall.

They had almost left when James shouted, 'WAIT!'

'Prongs, you can't tell them,' said Sirius. 'Alice'll be scared out of her wits.'

'I'm just going to ask Alice to check if Lily and Vanessa are up in their dormitory,' said James shortly.

He stood up and raced across the Great Hall, skidding to a halt in front of Alice with Sirius not too far behind him.

'Are you sure Lily and Vanessa are up in Gryffindor Tower?' he asked breathlessly.

'Yes,' said Alice blankly. 'They were last I checked, which was about three-quarters of an hour ago. Why?'

'Can you check again, please?' he pleaded.

'Sure,' said Alice, blinking, sounding confused as she led them up the marble staircase.

'Are you really that desperate to see her?' said Cassie, sounding amazed.

'You have no idea …' James muttered.

They walked past a rowdy gang of Slytherins, one of whom whispered, 'Stay away from the Gryffindorks.'

James was too concerned about Lily and Vanessa to do anything about them and Sirius wasn't all too fussed; his younger brother was in that gang of Slytherins …

'Bowtruckles,' said Alice to the Fat Lady.

She swung open to let them in. Alice skipped to the girls' dormitories; Cassie followed her, dragging her feet.

'That girl has some serious issues,' muttered Sirius.

James shrugged. He didn't care about what was going on with Cassie, he just had to make sure Lily and Vanessa were okay – that they weren't –

'They're not there,' said Alice, reappearing with flushed cheeks.

'Stay here, I'm going,' said James abruptly, turning around.

'But, Prongs –' said Sirius.

'What's going on?' Alice demanded.

But James had already climbed through the portrait hole and left for the Forbidden Forest at a run, wildly thinking about all the hexes the Slytherins could be placing upon Lily and Vanessa, all the pain they could be going through …

Finally, he was there. He trekked deeper into the Forest, finding no sign of movement – no animals, no creatures, no people … what was going on? He could hear no screams, which he supposed was a good thing, but all the same; there was something wrong, something very, very wrong …

Suddenly, he heard raucous laughter. James turned his head so fast that he felt his neck crick painfully.

He was surrounded by Slytherin boys and girls, most of whom were wearing evil grins and jeering facial expressions.

'What a fool,' Avery sneered, before lifting his wand.

*.*.*

Vanessa slammed her textbook shut, earning herself a glare from Madam Pince.

'I'm done with morning revision,' she declared, completely ignoring the librarian. 'Can we go and get something to eat now?'

'Sure,' said Lily, concentrating on putting quill to parchment, 'just let me finish this sentence, then we can dump our stuff in the dormitory and go downstairs. I _really_ don't like theory Care of Magical Creatures.'

Vanessa huffed and leaned backwards in her chair, counting all of the unlit candles on the walls to pass the time. Eventually, Lily finished with her essay, which she stowed away in her bag and left the library alongside Vanessa. On their way up to the dormitory, Lily and Vanessa couldn't help but notice the packs of close-knit Slytherins, muttering amongst themselves, occasionally casting a wary eye out for any eavesdroppers. One of them whispered, 'Mudbloods and blood traitors …' as they passed. Lily ignored him completely, feeling lucky that Vanessa didn't even hear.

'Isn't it too early for them to even be up?' whispered Vanessa.

Lily merely shrugged. They finally got up to the Slytherin-free seventh-floor. Upon reaching the Fat Lady, Vanessa clearly said, 'Bowtruckles,' smiling as the portrait swung open.

'Nessa?' said Alice, standing up. 'Lily?'

She looked extremely agitated to Lily, who said, 'Something wrong?' curiously, staring from Alice's pale face to Cassie's confused expression.

'If _you're_ here,' said Cassie slowly, 'then who have Black and Potter gone down to save?'

'What in the world are you talking about?' Vanessa spluttered.

*.*.*

There was no way Sirius was going to let James, his brother, walk into danger alone. If there was going to be any action, he, Sirius Black, just had to be a part of it. He and James would go through everything together – why should this be any different?

When he was finally out on the school grounds, he looked around to make sure no one was looking, before transforming into a large, black dog. He then galloped freely into the Forest, in search of James and a large gang of Slytherins. He was being more cautious than usual, even jumping upon hearing the sound of a twig snap, and, eventually, boisterous laughter from somewhere in the distance.

'What a fool,' Padfoot heard a boy say.

He looked up and witnessed a jet of green light hit a dark-haired boy whom he recognised as his best friend. James rose in the air, shouting, gasping in pain, the most intense physical pain he had ever felt. Sirius couldn't see Lily or Vanessa anywhere amongst the crowd of rowdy Slytherins. It was then that he understood what was going on. He felt anger boil in his blood.

Without thinking even for a second, Sirius growled and leapt at Avery, knocking him to the ground.

Avery screamed in an extremely girly manner while his cronies yelped, looking around in fear.

'That thing is _huge_!' exclaimed one Slytherin boy with a twisted face.

'There could be more of them around!' yelled another boy, tripping as he took a step back.

'Be quiet,' snapped Severus Snape.

He flipped his greasy hair out of his eyes before withdrawing his own wand, shouting, '_Ascendio_!'

Padfoot found himself getting lifted into the air and thrown against a thick-trunked tree. He let out the tiniest whimper and slid down the trunk.

'Finish that dog off, Severus!' cheered a loud Slytherin.

Snape lifted his wand up again, but Padfoot got back up on his paws and gritted his teeth, letting out another low growl.

'_Avada K_ –' Snape began, but James, who had gotten back up on his feet, shouted, '_Expelliarmus_!'

Snape's wand flew out of his hand. James caught it deftly.

'_Crucio_!' another Slytherin shouted.

James jumped out of the way of his Curse, hardly believing these seventh-years, still kids in the eyes of so many, would resort to the use of Unforgiveable Curses. But then again, they were Slytherins … should James fight fire with fire? Could he even descend to that level? It was him and Sirius against about seven Slytherins. They stood little chance.

'_Stupefy_!' James roared.

The jet of red light that issued from his wand hit a Slytherin square in the chest and knocked him backwards into another Slytherin.

'Still uses Stunning Spells,' sneered a girl.

'Still has some effect,' said James. 'At least I have better things to do than falsely lead people into traps to pick a fight with them alone.'

James aimed a jelly-legs jinx at another Slytherin, but it missed. Another was fired in his direction, which knocked him down.

'Is that the best you could do?' James laughed, getting back on his feet.

'You're in no position to talk,' sneered a Slytherin, Rosier.

'I'm still standing,' James pointed out. 'And I'm not alone,' he added when Padfoot approached him, his tail wagging.

'What's that dog gonna do? Bark at us?'

Just then, Padfoot howled loudly; around him, James and the Slytherins covered their ears with their hands.

When he was done, James, grinning broadly, said, 'You were saying?'

'Enough of this,' snapped Rosier. '_Cruci_ –'

'_Expelliarmus_!' came a girl's shout.

Rosier's wand flew out of his hand and fell on the floor.

Lily came closer to the gang, most of whom had their wands out.

'Lily?' Never had James been so happy, yet so scared for her presence.

'James, you're an idiot,' said Lily flatly, 'but we'll deal with your sheer idiocy later.'

Padfoot barked. Lily silenced him with a glare, before turning to the Slytherins, completely ignoring the fact that one of them was once her best friend.

'I don't know what you hope to achieve out of this –' Lily began furiously.

'Some fun,' Rosier interrupted, to loud cheers.

'Using cowardice and evil to torture someone –' she continued.

'That's what you –'

'_Silencio_,' said James, pointing his wand at Rosier, who unwillingly fell silent.

'You're getting yourselves into huge trouble,' shouted a Slytherin. 'You don't want to mess with us, we know Dark Magic!'

'You can give us detention, take points off our House, Evans,' said another boy, 'but that won't stop whatever's happening in the real world. You can get teachers on us, but _we_ can get the Dark Lord on you.'

James burst out laughing. 'The Dark Lord?' he scoffed. 'What would he want with some kiddies like you?'

'James, this is You-Know-Who we're talking about,' Lily muttered.

'Evans knows what she's dealing with,' said another boy loudly.

'Let's just go,' said Lily quietly. 'James, come on it's probably an empty threat. Let's just go before all of us get into trouble …'

'Ooh,' said a girl. 'Trouble; we're so scared of it.'

'Come _on_, James,' said Lily, pulling him along with her.

'Cowards,' muttered Rosier, being able to speak again. 'Too coward to fight.'

'_Furnunculus_!' Lily shouted, having had enough.

Boils began erupting all over Rosier, angry, scarlet boils.

'GAH!' Rosier shouted in response.

'Evans!' Avery roared.

He aimed a spell of some sort at Lily, but Snape accidentally got in the way. Thick, chocolate-coloured fur began growing all over Snape's skin, all over the exposed parts of his neck and face. He initially looked like he could have been cute and cuddly, but after a few more seconds in which more fur grew, he looked like a very greasy-haired, ugly baboon.

Padfoot gave a bark of laughter, jumping up and wagging his tail again, James joining in after a while; even Lily couldn't help laughing.

'Come on, come on,' said Lily quickly, pulling James, 'let's go.'

James allowed herself to be dragged along by Lily with Sirius right next to them, still seeming joyful. They hadn't gotten far when an indistinctive yell sounded from behind them. Acting on instinct, James pulled Lily down on the ground next to himself. He felt a hot, stinging sensation on his arm, but didn't check it.

'Are you okay?' he said abruptly to Lily, slowly getting up and pulling her up with him.

'Yeah, I'm –' she began, but then saw a deep gash on James's arm, deep enough to repulse her. 'James, your –'

'Let's get away from here quickly,' he murmured. 'C'mon, Padfoot …'

When they were safely out of the Forest, Lily rounded on James.

'Why did you do that?' she shrieked.

Padfoot, deciding he didn't want to witness what was coming up, skipped on ahead.

'Do what?' said James blankly.

'Why did you go to the Forest? You walked _straight_ into their trap, James, how thick _are_ you?'

'I thought you and Nessa were with them,' James muttered, feeling stupid. 'Alice checked the girls' dormitories,' he added defensively, 'so I had reason to believe you were with them. Where were you, anyway?'

'The library,' said Lily quietly. 'You realise that, if V and I _happened_ to be in that position, we could've gotten ourselves out, right?'

'Just in case, you know …'

'You don't always have to play hero, James,' sighed Lily, sounding worn-out. 'And just look at your arm …'

'It's nothing,' he lied, although he felt like he could die of the pain.

'No, it's really not nothing. Wait, I think I can do this spell.'

Lily held James still, concentrated hardly on the cut, murmured some inaudible words under her breath and waved her wand. Skin began growing over the cut, but he was still blood-stained.

'_Tergeo_,' James mumbled, as magic siphoned all of the blood away. 'Thanks.'

'To you, too,' said Lily, as they climbed up the marble staircase, headed for Gryffindor tower. 'I know that, as incredibly stupid as your actions may have been, you only did what you did, because you care.'

There was a lot more James wanted to add to that, but something inside of him told him now wasn't the time. But he had to say it, in case they weren't given another chance …

'Lily,' said James painfully. 'There's something I need to tell you.'

'Okay …?' said Lily, confused, as James pulled her into an empty classroom and shut the door behind them. 'James, what's this about?'

'You. And me. And us,' he said.

She waited for him to go on.

'You're insane,' he said finally. 'You're so indecisive, yet firm on your beliefs; you're soft, but still so fierce and fiery; you're kind, but you're not a complete pushover; you do the craziest little things, but you're not completely out of control. Everything you do drives _me_ insane. And it's been like that for years now. It was years ago that I first started noticing your quirks, your flaws, everything that makes you Lily Evans, everything that makes you beautiful.

'I remember all the times you ended up in the Hospital Wing, all the times I thought I was going to lose you, and I wouldn't be able to _stand_ it if something really bad happened to you or Nessa and I knew you were out there.

'Lily, I think I love you. And it scares me.'

Never before had words failed Lily as much as they failed her now. Then suddenly, without her volition, words spilled out of her mouth.

'I'm the _exact_ same,' she said quickly. 'Except, you know, about you, not me.'

_Good Godric, I'm _babbling_, _she thought to herself.

'Don't laugh – you promise not to laugh, right?'

'I promise,' said James, although he was already biting back a grin.

'I've actually secretly liked you for some time now,' she blurted. 'I used to feel flattered when you asked me out. But I refused to accept you until you grew up a little. I have strong principles, and you went against them. But something – _something_ about you, the way everyone loved you, the thing you had for me, the strong friendship you had with your friends, your charm, your wit, I don't know, just _something_ – always had me. I used to think it was just a little girl's crush until this year.

'You've had me feeling completely foreign feelings all year, and it's scared me. I've started doing things I've never done before, like laugh to myself or stop focusing as much in class, and it's _entirely your fault_. But I love it all, and I hate that I love it.

'I think I love you, too, James, and I'm absolutely terrified. Of what, I'm not sure. Terrified of heartbreak? Terrified to be alone again? Terrified that I'll never be into someone as much as I'm into you?

'I don't know. One thing I know I know is that I've _never_ felt this way about someone else. There hasn't been one boy who's walked into my life who's left the footprints you have; not one has managed to keep hold of my heart for as long as you have.

'And you can't imagine the relief I feel to know that you feel the exact same.'

It was James's turn to have words fail him. He didn't know what to say; he could've let out a cry of joy. Instead, he kissed her. Besides having the love of his life love him back, no feeling in the world compared to having her fiery lips against his, smelling the floral scent of her soft hair and knowing that there wasn't anything or anyone in the way that could take her away from him now.

Eventually, they broke apart, both smiling upon realising that they truly did have something special.

'I knew you always liked me,' smirked James, tucking a strand of hair behind Lily's ear.

'I hated that you could see through my lies when no one else could,' Lily whispered, staring up into his clear, hazel eyes.

'Incidentally – there's no way I would ever break your heart, not even if my life depended on it.'

* * *

**A/N: So … worth the wait or not? I shall update quickly next time to make up (:**


	42. At Death's Door

**A/N: Oh, good Godric, reading over the last chapter, I realised how incredibly mushy it was XD Sorry for the wait. Here you go! (:**

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- Chapter Forty-two -

~ At Death's Door ~

It was a while after people stopped talking about Lily and James in loud whispers as they passed them in the corridors, often hand-in-hand. When they weren't together doing homework, revising for the upcoming exams or just hanging out with friends, James would take out the Marauders' Map just to check on Lily's dot, as if this brought him pleasure.

The weeks before the exams passed by in a flash, although the revision itself was painfully slow. All of the Gryffindors minus Vanessa had Transfiguration first thing on a Monday morning, which was a pain after doing little but revising all weekend. There was a two part test for Transfiguration: the first was practical, changing the form of objects and such; the second exam consisted of the theory side of the subject, describing Animagi transformations, facial features alterations and other carefully-chosen topics.

The Marauders came out of that rather happily.

'Should've gotten all of that right,' said Sirius easily. 'You know, being –'

'Be quiet, Sirius,' Remus whispered, looking around. But the corridor was so filled with students wanting to go outside in the June sunshine that it was hard to hear anyone else.

'"What controls your Animagus form?"' James repeated, laughing.

'Everyone knows it's about your personality,' said Peter.

'Does that make you a rat, Pete?' Sirius joked to laughter.

Peter felt his cheeks redden slightly. 'Does that make _you_ a bitch, Sirius?'

'OOOH!' James shouted, while Remus whistled. Sirius merely grinned, proud to see his friend standing up for himself for once.

'I see you didn't give yourself another spectacular beard, Prongs,' said Sirius.

'No,' squeaked Peter excitedly, 'he gave himself a handlebar moustache instead! I saw him with his examiner, Marchbanks – she looked dead impressed!'

'She did?' said James modestly.

Sirius messed up James's hair for him.

James, Peter and Sirius revised Charms with Lily that evening; Vanessa had an Astronomy exam at midnight and Remus had History of Magic to revise for. Once again, they found their exam was split into practical and theory, the practical being more fun. They had to write about Charms and later show in front of unfamiliar examiners how to perform all the Charms they had practised over the last two years. They were called up in alphabetical order; Sirius deserted them first and Lily followed not long after. James and Peter were together, though. Peter was so nervous he overdid his _Aguamenti_charm and caused something of a flood where they had their practical examinations. James looked torn between amusement and annoyance that his Charm work, which had been going so well, had been interrupted.

Even after Charms was over, they had to revise for Defence Against the Dark Arts, which was, once again, a mix of theory and practical work. But this had to be the Marauders' best subject, even if it was taught by an evil teacher who wasn't present. They particularly shone in the area of casting non-verbal spells; the years of hexing random students had paid off for all of them.

They were glad Defence Against the Dark Arts was a morning examination, as Cassie, Lily and Vanessa had both Potions _and_ Herbology to revise for the next day; the others just had either one or the other.

Lily flourished in Potions, though. It was one of her favourite subjects, and she felt reassured with Slughorn in the room as she worked over her Draught of Living Death, which, by the end, was the precise shade of pale pink it was supposed to be.

Finally, Friday came – it was their last day of exams. James was somewhat irritated by the fact that while he was free, Lily had an exam (Care of Magical Creatures) and when she was free, he had an exam (Arithmancy). But he let it go as they were going to spend the entire day together in Hogsmeade alone – meaning no Sirius butting in on them. For once, he understood and he was fine with it.

On the Saturday, they all walked to Hogsmeade together as a big group of Gryffindors, but later went their separate ways; Alice mumbled something about meeting Frank and Sirius claimed he needed to visit Zonko's. Lily and James were playing the 'what would you do' game, while strolling around freely, past all the shops and nearer some caves.

'What would you do if you were offered a contract with your favourite Quidditch team?' Lily asked, snuggling up against his arm.

'Will I play Chaser?' said James thoughtfully.

'Whatever you want.'

'Will I move around a lot?'

'Probably.'

'No,' he said simply.

'What?' said Lily, stopping. 'Why not, James? You love Quidditch, as pretty much everyone in the entire school knows. It's one of your most favourite things in the world. Remember in our fourth- and fifth-years you would frequently be caught with a Snitch you'd have nicked?'

'And Madam Hooch kept getting frustrated,' said James, grinning, 'because she didn't know where it went. Yeah, I remember.'

'Then why would you not want to get signed?' Lily's eyebrows were knitted together; she didn't understand.

'If there's something I love more than playing Quidditch,' said James, walking again, 'it's spending time with you guys. I can play Quidditch with you guys. So what if I don't get paid for it?'

Lily beamed at him. 'Your parents are so lucky to have a son like you.'

James shrugged modestly. The two stopped in their tracks – they walked in on Alice and Frank talking two each other. Not in the lovey-dovey way Lily and James were. They were talking in low, serious tones.

'Alice, you've _got_ to get out of here!' James heard Frank mutter. 'It's not safe!'

'James,' Alice breathed, looking past Frank, 'Lily.'

'What's going on?' James questioned curiously, looking from one lover to the other.

'James, you _have_ to take Alice out of here,' said Frank quietly, dangerously. 'It's Auror stuff.'

'Here?' said Lily, sounding puzzled. 'In Hogsmeade?'

'Yes,' said Frank desperately. 'We have reason to believe a few Death Eaters may have set up camp not far from here, just along the path we're walking on. It's _not__safe_, stay away! Go back to the castle. If a battle breaks out – Alice, _please_.'

'Wait,' said James, 'why can't we join in?'

'You're not qualified!' Frank exclaimed.

'Neither are you,' Lily pointed out. 'Am I right in believing you haven't completed Auror training yet?'

'But you haven't even left school yet!'

'We've finished all of our exams,' said James. 'Besides, you're completely alone.'

'How Dumbledore allowed a Hogsmeade trip today of all days I won't understand,' Frank blustered.

'Why, what's –?' Lily began, but she was interrupted by a few people pushing past her.

'Frank!' exclaimed a young, blonde witch. 'We've got news for you!'

'M – Marlene?' Lily stammered. 'Marlene McKinnon?'

The blonde witch turned around to look at her. Her jaw dropped and her kind eyes widened.

'Lily Evans? Wow, look at you! You've really changed over the last year! You … look like a girl,' said Marlene.

'Thanks,' said Lily coolly while James sniggered.

'Marlene,' giggled the dark-haired witch next to her. 'Lily has always looked like a girl. I think what you mean to say is she's grown into a pretty little lady. It _has_ only been a year that we've been away from Hogwarts, right? Because it feels like a lifetime. No, more than that.'

Lily grinned. 'No, Dorcas, it has only been a year. And thanks. What on earth are you guys doing here?'

'Top secret mission,' Emmeline, another witch with chocolate brown hair said. 'You guys should get going and take your friends with you.'

'But you're not an Auror,' Lily frowned. 'Why are you involved?'

'Can't explain,' said Marlene quickly.

'Okay, that's it,' said Frank. 'Dorcas, Emmeline, Marlene, evacuate as many people as you can. Go, now. I might be able to take them on myself.'

The three rushed off back to the busy area of the village again. Meanwhile, Frank was persuading Alice, Lily and James to get going as well.

'No,' said Alice stubbornly. A series of bright red sparks issued from the tip of her wand.

'There _is_ someone here,' came a rough growl. 'I told you so.'

Frank swore under his breath, while Lily instinctively grabbed James's hand, panicking slightly. There were Death Eaters and, judging by the footsteps, lots of them. James then remembered something. He withdrew his Invisibility Cloak from underneath his robes and hissed at Alice and Lily. The three of them had to crouch a little, but they all managed to fit under the Cloak

That was when they came into view. There were five, tall Death Eaters in black cloaks with pointy hoods and eerie-looking masks.

'Go,' hissed Frank. He couldn't move his lips much as it would look suspicious to the Death Eaters who now had a clear view of him.

'No,' Alice replied back, 'we're going to help.'

'Go and get back-up,' Frank murmured.

'Come on, Alice,' said James.

'NO!' Alice screamed.

'Who else is there?' said a Death Eater threateningly, as the others pointed their wands in different directions.

Before Lily and James could hold her back, Alice slipped out from underneath the Cloak. Neither had seen her like this – strong and determined. She had normally been quiet and shy. They were seeing her in a whole new light, the true reason why she was a Gryffindor.

'Is this the girlfriend?' sneered one of them.

'Touch her and –!' Frank began.

'_Stupe_ –'

'_Protego_!' Alice screeched.

A magical shield appeared like a wall in between Alice and Frank and the Death Eaters. The Stunning Spell rebounded and hit one of them, knocking them over backwards and into unconsciousness.

'You really want to do this?' said Frank seriously.

'Yes,' Alice replied.

'James, we have to help,' Lily whispered.

'You take the Cloak and get help,' said James.

'No.'

James didn't bother arguing. When Alice took down her Shield Charm, Lily and James began Stunning the Death Eaters, who were confused as to where the spells were coming from.

'_Petrificus__Totalus_!' a Death Eater yelled, aiming for where Lily and James were.

But he missed, hitting Alice instead. She froze over and fell to the ground. Not fully aware of what she was doing, Lily slipped out from underneath the Cloak and crouched over Alice with her wand out.

'_Finit_ –' Lily began, but a Death Eater blasted her wand out of her hand, which began bleeding severely. The amount of luminous, scarlet blood trickling down her hand was quite nauseating.

'_Stupefy_!' James shouted, coming out from under the Cloak as well.

The Death Eater had a look of surprise etched on his face at James's sudden appearance as he fell backwards.

There was just one more Death Eater left whom Frank was duelling with. James hurried to help, but he was too late; the Death Eater triumphed and turned to Lily and James.

'_Cruci_ –' he began.

'DUCK!' James shouted, pulling Lily down with him anyway.

The Cruciatus Curse – a Curse which gives victims immense pain – missed and hit the ground, blasting bits of stone.

The Death Eater wordlessly slashed his wand in the air, and the next thing James knew, his torso had been gashed. He roared in pain and bent over for a second before lifting his wand again.

'Cease the battle,' came a quiet, but clear hiss, one that chilled Lily's bones.

No, this couldn't be … James felt his heartbeat quicken. He put a protective arm around Lily and helped her up, blood still dripping from her hand and from his chest.

'Voldemort …' James muttered.

This was the Lord Voldemort many were too scared to use the name of. He had very pearly skin – well, face. Like his supporters, he, too, was wearing a floor-length cloak. Lily couldn't see much of his face from under his hood, but she thought she could see slits for nose, and his paper-thin lips curved in an unpleasant smile. He even knew how to smile?

'What … are your names?' said Voldemort softly.

'What's it to you?' said Lily harshly.

'I requested your names,' said Voldemort somewhat coldly.

'My Lord,' spoke the Death Eater, 'this is Lily Evans and James Potter, the two who have given one of our number a rough time.'

'You have fought bravely,' hissed Voldemort. 'Lord Voldemort values bravery.'

Lily didn't like the way he spoke slowly, as if they were supposed to hang on to every word of his.

'Have you thought about life after Hogwarts?' he continued.

'If we live that long,' Lily muttered. Voldemort heard her.

'You can,' he said, 'if you join me. All those who don't can be promised a premature death. You don't want to die early, do you?'

'Rather that than join you,' said James roughly.

'But, my Lord,' said the Death Eater, 'the girl's a Muggle-born.'

'And more talented that yourself,' said Voldemort silkily. 'Think about it,' he continued. 'You needn't die now when you can join me and live on. We can bring wizards out of hiding … that isn't too evil, is it?'

Lily, who was too taken aback by the fact that Lord Voldemort had called her talented, said nothing. James on the other hand said, 'We don't want to join you in eradicating Muggles.'

'But you would be a great asset,' said Voldemort. 'This is your last chance …'

'You heard him,' said Lily. 'We'd much rather die.'

'Do you, like so many fools before yourselves, believe your precious _Dumbledore_ will always be there for you?' he sneered.

'Well, he has been so far,' James pointed out.

'I don't see him now,' said Voldemort.

'You never were one to look far, Tom Riddle,' came a deep voice from quite far behind Lily and James.

Lily wondered wildly who Dumbledore was talking to, before realising "Lord Voldemort" could hardly be his real name.

'So we meet again,' said Voldemort. He was completely ignoring the presence of Lily, James and his supporter now. Focusing on Dumbledore seemed to take all of his energy.

'Most unfortunately,' said Dumbledore.

Without another word, Voldemort cried, '_Avada__Kedavra_!'

The Killing Curse.

Dumbledore simply flicked his wand, and a rock took the Curse, shattering into pieces. He positioned himself in front of Lily and James, as if to protect them.

'Subtlety never was your strongest point, Riddle,' said Dumbledore.

'My name is –' Voldemort began.

'Tom Riddle,' said Dumbledore. 'Your name is Tom Riddle, and you –'

'Oh, here we go again,' sneered Voldemort. 'I don't need to listen to this.'

'On the contrary –'

Voldemort tried another Curse, this time directed at James, but Dumbledore was ready for it and had another rock fly in to get destroyed.

'– I think you _do_ need to hear this.'

'You can't tell me what to do anymore, Dumbledore,' Voldemort hissed.

To Lily, he sounded rather like an adolescent, and this was what Dumbledore seemed to think as well, for he merely smiled.

'Do I detect fear?'

'And to think I once thought you were wise, Dumbledore.'

'You once thought correct, didn't you?' said James fiercely. 'Once.'

Lily thought she saw the shadow of a smile on Dumbledore's face as James said that.

'These two are yours, I see,' said Voldemort. 'You've taught them well. Too bad you didn't teach them respect.'

'We give respect to those who earn it,' said Lily coldly. 'You're not one of them.'

'Enough talk,' said Voldemort.

He raised his wand again and the Death Eater did the same. Before either could say another word, Lily cried the first spell that came to mind: '_Incarcerous_!'

The Death Eater found himself falling to the ground, tied by invisible ropes.

Voldemort looked down at him. James was sure that, had he not been wearing a mask, he would have looked up at his master imploringly. Voldemort waved his wand lazily and the Death Eater vanished. Without another word, Voldemort himself vanished, as well. But that wasn't the end – as he left, Dumbledore, Lily, James and Alice and Frank's bodies were blasted backwards.

The next thing Lily knew, she was in considerable pain. She had landed on a rock awkwardly, her head and a part of her back smashing against it. She felt giddy with agony.

'Whaaaa …?' she said blearily.

She found wrinkly hands pulling her up steadily. Her eyes were narrowed in pain so she couldn't see very well.

'She needs the Hospital Wing,' she heard Dumbledore mutter.

His hands then left hers, and were replaced with softer, warmer hands. 'Come on, Lil.'

She was disconcerted by how little she could see. She heard voices murmur, '_Rennervate_,' but she was being steered away now, her head pounding painfully. Without any sort of warning, blackness overcame her, and she knew no more.

*.*.*

'Count to a hundred!' Aaliyah called.

Before Lily could argue, she whipped her long, chocolate brown hair and ran off into the light, calling after her, 'That'll give me plenty of time to hide from you!'

'Aaliyah,' Lily whined, 'I don't want to play any more hide and seek! Come back! I'm completely worn out.'

'Lily?'

'Liyah?'

'Lily?'

Someone was nudging her, but it wasn't Aaliyah.

'Lily? Lily, it's okay, you're safe. You're all right.'

That wasn't Aaliyah's voice. It was a soft, deep voice that made Lily feel safe to open her eyes. She was no longer in pain. In fact, she couldn't feel anything but numbness. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at the ceiling in the Hospital Wing.

Then she realised.

She sat up quickly and gave an odd screech of pain; her back was still sore, and her head heavy with bandages.

'Well, finally,' said Sirius, grinning. 'You've kept us waiting long enough.'

Vanessa adjusted Lily's pillow to make it more comfortable for her to lean on.

'How long's long?' Lily croaked.

Remus poured Lily a goblet of water, which she sipped out of gratefully.

'It's only been a couple of days,' Remus answered. 'How're you feeling?'

'Where's Alice?' Lily asked quickly. 'And Frank? Are they all right? And D – Dumbledore, where's Dumbledore?'

She turned her neck so fast to look at James that she cricked her neck. He was sitting in the bed beside her, looking rather at home.

'Are you okay?' she questioned breathlessly.

'Madam Pomfrey said I'm going to be,' said James. 'And so are Alice and Frank. Dorcas and Marlene came back and took care of them. They came around in no time. Madam Pomfrey healed their cuts and Frank went back to work.'

'I think Alice is chilling with Cassie in Gryffindor Tower,' said Vanessa. 'She's a little bit shaken, but getting better. How are _you_ feeling?'

'I'm not,' said Lily. 'I feel nothing now. It feels kind of good.'

Vanessa giggled.

Lily then looked around properly. She was in the company of James, Peter, Remus, Sirius, Vanessa and a dozen bunches of flowers and boxes of sweets – Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Liquorice Wands and all of Lily's favourites.

'What's all this?' she asked, blinking rapidly.

James and Sirius grinned at each other.

'Well … pretty much everyone's heard about what went down,' said Sirius, still grinning, 'about how you two and Alice escaped from _Lord__Voldemort_himself.'

Peter and Vanessa squealed at the name, but were completely ignored.

'Hardly,' said Lily, '_he_ escaped from _us_.'

'That's even cooler!' Sirius said. 'You scared off Voldemort.'

'James was telling us before,' Remus carried on, 'and we got overheard. Next thing you know, everyone's talking about it.'

'I've never been bought so many sweets,' said James. 'You've got more than me, though.'

'An advantage of getting concussed, I guess,' said Lily, working hard to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

'But you're all right now,' said James bracingly.

Lily didn't feel like arguing. Instead, she picked up a single rose on her bedside table. It didn't come with a note or card. 'Who's this from?' she asked.

Before anyone could answer, an unexpected visitor swept into the Hospital Wing.

They all, minus Lily, stood up and welcomed Professor Dumbledore. He looked completely fine on the outside, not a scratch from the recent events.

'Good afternoon,' he said politely.

'Afternoon, Professor,' said James.

'How are you feeling, Miss Evans?'

'Quite well, thank you, Professor,' Lily smiled.

'Er … I – I think I hear Alice calling me,' said Vanessa quickly, rushing off.

'Yeah, me too,' said Sirius, hurrying after her.

'I … don't actually have an excuse,' said Remus, following the two anyway.

Peter's eyes flew from Lily to James to Dumbledore. He scurried after Remus.

'You sure know how to clear out a room, Professor,' said James.

'Thank you, Mr Potter,' Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling.

'C – can I help you with something, sir?' Lily asked.

Dumbledore sighed, looking pained. 'I am here to impress upon the two of you the seriousness of what you have done,' he said. 'Stumbling into Death Eater territory knowing _full__well_ the trouble you were getting yourself into is extremely dangerous. It is because of this that Hogsmeade trips shall be more limited in the future for students during these dark times. I should, in fact, be taking away points from Gryffindor.'

Lily felt her stomach turn as James inconspicuously took her hand. This was all because of them …

'However,' he continued, in a softer tone, 'the two of you showed exceptional nerve like true Gryffindors while coming up against the Darkest wizard of all time. In the face of danger, the two of you and Alice managed to keep your heads cool where others may have panicked uncontrollably. You put all you have learnt in school to good use; brilliant role models for younger students. And, for this, I award Gryffindor … a hundred and fifty points.'

James's jaw dropped and Lily gasped. They turned to look at each other and then at Dumbledore, their delight clear.

'Thank you _so_ much, Professor!' Lily breathed.

'Thank _you_ two for showing Voldemort everything he has missed,' said Dumbledore. 'You showed him there are things worth fighting against, things worth dying for. Voldemort has never been able to understand this, being a strong believer in evil. You have, indeed, made me proud.'

'Glad we did,' James grinned.

'And also …' said Dumbledore, a smile playing at his lips, 'I vaguely recall this time nine months ago the two of you had said something about never being friends.'

How did he know?

* * *

**A/N: Please keep LittleRedLily in your thoughts and prayers tonight, and thank you for waiting however long it's been since she last updated! She left me with some stuff to update, so, er, when am I _supposed_ to update? xD**

**- A Friend Who's Completely New to the World of Fanfiction  
**


	43. Spoken Feelings and Clear Messages

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. And if I did, I mostly likely wouldn't be sitting here in front of my laptop writing fanfiction about it … xD**

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- Chapter Forty-three -

~ Spoken Feelings and Clear Messages ~

Students were still talking about what had happened with Voldemort even at the end-of-year feast. Lily and James had been in the Hospital Wing getting better, far from all of the gossip and people pestering her for details. They were often in the company of close friends. Facts were becoming garbled; Remus thought he heard a fifth-year telling a group of awestruck second-years that Dumbledore himself had vanished Voldemort in a land of no return, and this was the end of him. The _Daily Prophet_ had reported about what had happened with urges to keep safe, but even they didn't have all the facts. It didn't matter, anyway. They were all safe and well, and that was what counted.

When James, Lily, Remus, Sirius and Vanessa strode into the Great Hall for the end-of-year Feast – today decorated with scarlet and gold hangings with a lion associated with Gryffindor – everyone's eyes turned to them and all chatter died away. It was the first time Lily and James had been seen out of the Hospital Wing since the Hogsmeade trip. Lily still had a thin, ivory bandage wrapped around her forehead and underneath her hair; it felt more like a hippie-style headband.

'This is awkward …' Sirius muttered as they froze and James held Lily close.

'Come on,' said Remus, but before they could take another step, everyone – except the majority of the Slytherin table – burst into applause, led by Hagrid at the staff table.

James and Lily couldn't help but grin widely. Remus beckoned them forwards and they sat down at the Gryffindor table, Lily blushing scarlet. A respectful hush fell upon the Hall once again as Dumbledore, smiling warmly, stood up to make a speech.

'Another year has gone, an unusually painful year,' he said, his eyes looking around at each and every one of them, 'and another feast awaits us. But before we can allow ourselves to sink our teeth into this delicious feast as I am sure many of you want more than anything right now' ('No, duh,' said Sirius quietly) 'I must speak to you all about a very serious matter.'

His expression was now sombre. 'You _must_ be careful over the long summer holiday. Lord Voldemort' – several students violently jumped in their seats or yelped – 'is growing ever stronger and is gaining support from the conscienceless …'

As Dumbledore went on, Lily looked over at the Slytherin table. She noticed Severus Snape and a few of his friends exchanging superior smirks, as if they weren't going to bother with anything the old man was saying. This infuriated her for some reason.

'And now to announce the winning House of the House Cup,' said Dumbledore, smiling. Lily gave him her attention again. 'In fourth place, so close to third, with three hundred and eighty-nine points is Ravenclaw.'

There was a light scatter of applause, somewhat gloomy on the Ravenclaw table.

'In third place with three hundred and ninety-five points … Slytherin.'

The only reason that this applause was louder than the previous one was because the Slytherins were quite a boisterous lot; not many from the other three houses were cheering. Ravenclaws were particularly unhappy that they had missed third place by seven points.

Dumbledore waited for them to finish before continuing. 'In second place with four hundred and twenty-six points is Hufflepuff.'

There was a lot of clapping and cheering from the Hufflepuff table; they weren't used to having that many points, weren't used to having their hourglass filled with so many jewels. James looked up at the staff table and found Professor Sprout looking very proud of her House.

'And in first place with an astounding six hundred and seventy-seven points … Gryffindor.'

The Marauders' cheering could be heard above anyone else's – and the noise was quite turbulent. Lily clapped loudly with everyone else while Alice and Vanessa turned to each other, shrieking in delight. James looked up at the staff table again and swore he saw McGonagall faintly smiling at him. He gave her a nod, grinning before catching Dumbledore's eye. He quickly glanced over at the Slytherin table and wasn't surprised to see very few people applauding; Snape looked as though he was going to be sick. James nudged Sirius who gave out a bark of laughter.

'Yes, yes,' said Dumbledore over the slowly-subsiding noise, 'well done, Gryffindor, particularly Alice, James Potter and Lily Evans, who, as you all may know by now, faced Lord Voldemort and several of his Death Eaters like true Gryffindors. Well done. I couldn't be any more proud of the way they handled the situation.'

There was yet another round of applause, as everyone looked around at the three who had reddened deeply and were failing to conceal grins. Some patted their backs, ruffled their hair – to Alice's annoyance – and shook their hands.

'And now – we eat,' said Dumbledore.

He clapped once and they suddenly found dishes and dishes of delicious-looking food in front of them.

'Woo!' Sirius shouted. 'Now _this_ is what I'm talking about!'

Lily and the other Marauders laughed as Sirius piled his plate with chicken wings, eating with both hands. James just stared at him.

'Even after living with you for over a year,' said James, 'I'll never understand how you can eat so much at once.'

'Abou' 'at,' said Sirius, finishing his mouthful of chicken, 'I'm going to get my own place. An uncle of mine died recently and left me a decent bit of gold – more than he left Regulus, I'm told. This pleases me deeply.'

Sirius then turned to look at James who was sitting right next to him. His expression was very solemn.

'Thanks for everything, James,' he said quietly, 'everything from the past few years that I've been with you guys. You let me in when I had no place to go, sort of adopted me as a second son and sibling, showed me what family love's supposed to be about – I'll never forget that. I owe you for as long as I live. Thanks.'

Sirius clapped his hand against James's and embraced him in a one-armed hug. James couldn't fail to notice how Sirius actually used his first name as opposed to his nickname as he usually did.

''S okay,' James said still over Sirius's shoulder. His voice was constricted with emotion, just like Sirius's. 'I owe _you_ for all the fun-filled times. I hope the fact that we're leaving school now won't affect our friendship. Any of ours,' James added, breaking away from Sirius and looking at his friends. 'It's been real fun at Hogwarts with all of you. I couldn't have asked for a better group of friends. Thank you, all of you, for the amazing times.'

He turned around and stared at them all. Peter and Remus looked extremely saddened. Lily was wearing a sad sort of smile and Vanessa's eyes were streaming.

'Don't cry, Ness,' said James softly. 'That wasn't supposed to make you cry.'

'I know,' said Vanessa thickly, wiping her tears on her sleeve, 'it's just that I've got something to say as well.' She wiped her eyes again and sniffed before carrying on. 'After what happened in Hogsmeade – your narrow escape with Voldemort – Mum and Dad want us to move away from here.'

'That – that's okay,' said Lily coolly, recovering before any of them, 'we can still write, can't we?'

'Far away,' Vanessa sniffed, 'like in a different continent. They're that worried. And I'm not one to argue with them.'

'We can still write, can't we?' Lily repeated in a higher pitched voice. 'It might take time and all, but –'

'I'm sorry, Lily,' Vanessa murmured, her voice breaking.

Before anyone could say anything more, Remus interrupted. 'Can we not ruin our last feast here with a river of tears? It's just that I think some people – like Sirius – wouldn't appreciate a flood in the Great Hall where all the food is just waiting to be eaten.'

Vanessa gave a watery laugh and they all recommenced eating, cracking plenty of jokes as well. Eventually, the main course was replaced by dessert – everything anyone could ever hope to have. There was a lot of chocolate pudding going around and many flavours of ice cream.

There was a bowl of vanilla ice cream sitting in front of Lily. Hers and James's eyes met over it. They smiled simultaneously, both thinking about the same thing: the start-of-term banquet.

'Do you remember back in September at the start-of-term banquet,' James began quietly, 'Remus finished the ice cream I wanted to have for dessert?'

'Yeah,' said Lily softly. 'He offered you some. You said no. You changed your mind later and Remus told you to ask me for some of mine.'

'I did,' said James reminiscently, 'and you said no. I gave you puppy eyes and you let me have some eventually, claiming you were doing this for Remus.'

'Which I _was_,' said Lily.

'No you weren't,' James said gently. 'You've had your eyes on me since sixth-year. Admit it.'

'Maybe,' Lily grinned. 'How did you know that precisely?'

James thought about Lily's diary and how he read it, and then about how much trouble he would get into if he said that. 'I heard you asking Vanessa why I'd stopped asking you out one time last year. You really didn't want to fall in love with me, did you?'

'It's not that,' said Lily shyly, 'it's just that I've never understood why you liked me. There are plenty of girls in Hogwarts, and you decide to go for the only one that didn't want you back. How could you hold on to me for as long as you have? How did you never stop believing in an "us"?'

'I know that I love you, I really do,' said James. 'I knew I just couldn't give up on you. As an "us", we're so complex, and yet the term you place on it is so simple. Strange, huh? Anyway, I remember you once telling Vanessa after a break-up she had that love comes back around. All I had to do was wait. You're worth the wait, even if it was a thousand years.'

'That's beautiful,' said Lily softly. 'James, what would you do if I said I love you?'

'I would say I love you too, Lily,' he replied.

*.*.*

Their suitcases were packed, their wardrobes emptied; they had tidied up their dormitories and made their four-poster beds. James glanced around his old dormitory, casting his mind back to all the happy memories they had had in there. Remus clapped a hand on his shoulder as he left, heading for the common room. James followed him, as everyone was downstairs now. He saw Lily and the other Marauders, all of whom looked thoroughly upset to be leaving.

'Too bad we couldn't pull our end-of-year prank,' said Sirius darkly, throwing Peter a very filthy look.

'Am I missing something?' said Lily.

'Wormy got our Map confiscated,' said Remus, throwing Peter a kind smile. 'Filch found it and I think he assumed that it's a total treasure, because it came from a Marauder.'

'We won't need it anyway,' said James quickly, glancing at Peter's pitifully apologetic expression. 'This is it; the end of another chapter, the start of a new beginning. Come on, let's go.'

Together they took their last trip down all of the stairs in Hogwarts, looking around and bidding farewell to the portraits, most of whom bade them goodbye as well. James had to pull Sirius away from engaging in yet another fight with a suit of armour on the fifth floor. They sent 'thank you's and 'goodbye's to members of staff on their way down, including Madam Pomfrey. They didn't bother with Darktoff and he was nowhere to be found, as he had been for days.

'Into a carriage,' said James.

He took Lily's hand and helped her into one. This would be their last time riding a carriage together on their way to Hogsmeade station. They began reminiscing on previous rides.

'Do you remember in second year when it was raining and Peter slipped in the mud trying to get into a carriage?' said Sirius, grinning.

'Leave me alone,' said Peter. 'It was bad enough falling head on into mud, but to relive the moment?'

'D'you remember the fireworks we used in fourth year to terrify the second-years out of their wits?' said James. 'Their first carriage ride to Hogwarts … don't think they were expecting that.'

'That was mean,' said Lily, although she, too, was laughing. 'Hey, I remember when James tried riding a Thestral.'

'Didn't it throw you off?' said Remus, failing to bite back a smile.

'It was worth the few moments of riding one,' said James.

After moments of reminiscing, they finally arrived at Hogsmeade station. The Hogwarts Express seemed more vibrantly coloured than before as it awaited students to enter it, steaming lightly. Lily, Vanessa and the Marauders managed to get their own compartment. They stowed away their luggage in the overhead compartments as the train began moving.

'We should go and patrol for a while,' said Lily to James, leaving their compartment, 'just to check everyone's all right.'

'Sure,' said Sirius, 'you're only going to "patrol".'

'Shut up, Padfoot,' James grinned.

While Lily and James patrolled the corridors of the train, occasionally poking their heads into compartments or stealing kisses when they were sure no one was looking, Sirius got out a pack of cards and began playing Exploding Snap with Peter and Remus. During the fifth round, Remus quickly glanced up to see Vanessa looking out of the window with an absent expression, before looking at Sirius.

'Is she okay?' he asked quietly.

Sirius briefly looked at her as well. 'A little bit upset, you know.'

'Go say something to her,' Peter hissed.

'Why me?' said Sirius quickly, though in a hushed voice. 'Moony, you're the sweet and sensitive one.'

'You're closer to her,' said Remus.

'Physically, you are.'

'You know what I mean,' said Remus darkly.

Vanessa spoke without looking at them. 'I might look like I've blanked out, but I can hear everything you're saying. We're in the same compartment, you know, it's really not that hard.'

'It's just that …' Sirius began, after Peter gave him a little kick. 'Are you okay?'

Sirius abandoned his deck of cards and sat by Vanessa.

'Just dreading the holidays without Lily … and Aaliyah,' she replied, still looking out of the window, 'knowing that I'm not coming back to Hogwarts, and maybe not even to this country.'

Sirius didn't know what to say. He would have died inside if he lost his friends; they were all the family he had left. If James, Remus, Peter or even Lily, who he had come to adore as a sister, decided to get up and leave him, he would have been lost. Not knowing what he could say to comfort her, he merely took her hand and gripped it hard. She didn't turn to look at him, but returned the pressure. It was then that a loud _BOOM_ made the two jump and break apart. They were now staring at a cloud of dark grey smoke which was slowly disappearing, revealing the two Marauders.

'Oh, no,' Peter squeaked, sounding most unhappy. His face appeared blackened and he made it worse by touching it, as if to check his features were still in place.

Remus looked less burnt and more nauseated by the lingering smell of burning socks. He pulled James's suitcase from the overhead compartment, unzipped a small pocket poking out and withdrew a small, sapphire bottle. He sprayed the entire compartment twice before slipping the bottle back where it was and stowing away James's luggage again.

'I can't stand that burning smell,' said Remus guiltily in response to Sirius's enquiring look.

As Remus sat back down next to Peter, Lily and James re-entered the compartment, both smiling as if they were enjoying a private joke.

'This compartment smells like James,' said Lily, her eyebrows knitting together as if she was concentrating, although she was still smiling.

'It does smell of me,' said James lightly, sitting down next to Sirius.

'Wormy – what happened to your eyebrow?' Lily asked, perplexed as she nudged Vanessa, Sirius and James along slightly to sit next to her upset-looking friend.

'Oh, no!' Peter repeated.

Vanessa quickly rifled through her purse and threw her compact mirror to Peter. It hit his fingers and fell to the floor, shattering.

'_Reparo_,' said James quietly, picking up the mirror and handing it to Peter. 'V, you should know better than to throw things at Peter.'

'Yeah,' said Sirius, grinning, 'that boy has the co-ordination of a Blast-Ended-Skrewt in ice-cold water.'

Peter stared with narrowed eyes at Sirius, his nose twitching, as he took the mirror from James. 'I am so not poorly co-ordinated.'

'Yeah, you are,' Sirius teased, still grinning. 'You can't even co-ordinate your nose.'

Some laughed. Lily, however, gave Sirius a light slap around the back of the head and said, 'Leave Wormtail alone.'

'Thank you,' said Peter timidly, checking his reflection in the tiny mirror.

'I can fix that for you,' said James kindly.

He lifted his wand, but Peter let out a little squeal. This was the famous Marauder, claiming he would fix Peter's eyebrow – to what extent could he be trusted.

At this, Lily laughed. James ignored her and calmly said, 'It's okay. I'm not going to do anything else, I promise.'

Peter closed his eyes and waited to hear James mutter an incantation and wave his wand. When he opened them he quickly looked in the mirror and, thankfully, saw that his eyebrow had returned to how it was before, although it did appear slightly thicker.

'Mum won't have anything to be mad about,' said Peter excitedly. 'How did you do that?'

'Magic,' said James, catching Lily's eye and winking.

'A Hair-thickening Charm, I suppose?' said Remus. 'I recognise it as the one you used on Avery while we were waiting outside Potions once.'

James and Sirius laughed at the memory.

The trolley stopped by barely an hour later. Sirius brought almost everything on it – Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Glowing Gum, Every Flavour Beans, Cauldron Cakes … when Lily stared at him as if to say, 'Really?' he said defensively, 'It's our last time!'

Although the trolley witch smiled kindly, James noticed how she was quick to leave, as if alarmed by Sirius's hunger.

'And this is him on a good day,' Remus muttered; James high-fived him.

The journey continued like that. They all, including Vanessa, chatted animatedly about "the old times", helping themselves to Sirius's snacks and laughing at anything that wasn't remotely funny. The pack of cards was neglected after what had happened to Peter's eyebrow.

Eventually, the Hogwarts Express pulled up at Platform Nine and Three-quarters. For many, this was only a 'see you later'. For the seventh-years, this was the dreaded goodbye.

'You never know,' said Remus lightly as he jumped off the train ahead of everyone else, 'we might have children who we'll have to see off.'

'That sounds lovely,' said Lily warmly, following him. 'I can't wait for that day.'

Lily's eyes briefly met with those of the rowdy pack of seventh-year Slytherins who had just hopped off the train. She caught Snape staring at her and turned her back on him. Could his expression have been slightly … wistful?

'And _I _can't wait for this war to be over,' said Vanessa. 'I'm going to miss you guys so much.'

She spotted her parents standing together, scanning the crowd for her.

'It will be, Ness,' said Lily, sniffing back tears.

She dropped her suitcase on James foot, causing him to jump and yelp in pain. But she barely noticed, as she embraced her friend. 'We'll all make it out of this war alive. We _will_ see each other again. Until then, take care.'

Lily heard her sniff. 'You too, Lil. Good luck for the future and,' they broke apart, 'if the Marauders ever give you any trouble, they'll have me to answer to.'

Sirius burst out laughing, unable to contain himself. He was quick to fall silent upon catching Vanessa's death glare.

'Sorry,' he muttered.

For a moment, it looked as though Vanessa had something to say, something nice, like a bittersweet goodbye. But she didn't. She merely waved to the Marauders, smiling faintly, and turned around with her suitcase, pacing over to her parents' side. If she weren't so loved by her parents, Lily most probably would have kidnapped her then and there.

Lily was jerked back to reality at James's touch.

'Hey,' said James softly, 'come on. You don't want to keep your dad waiting.'

He led them all out of Platform Nine and Three-quarters and into the Muggle world, which wasn't too packed.

Lily found her father standing alone, waiting for her. She carelessly dropped her suitcase – once again on James's foot – and ran and hugged her father.

'Whoa, there, Lily,' he said, hugging her back, 'I've missed you too, but don't forget I'm not the strong man I used to be!'

'Sorry,' said Lily breathlessly, releasing him, 'I just didn't think I missed you as much as I just realised. Dad, I love you.'

'I love you too, Lily,' her father said. 'Is there something I'm missing out on?'

'No, no, not at all,' she said happily. 'I've just missed you, that's all.'

'And who are these gentlemen?' he asked curiously, indicating to the Marauders a little way away.

Peter had been reunited with his elderly looking mother and Remus was chatting away to his parents excitedly. Sirius appeared to be explaining something to Mrs Potter, who had just arrived. Lily saw Mrs Potter's face fall. James, however, had his eyes on Lily. She gestured him to join them, which he did a little nervously.

'Dad, this is the boyfriend James,' said Lily, linking her arm with his, 'James Potter.'

'Ah,' said Mr Evans politely, extending a hand, 'the handsome boy whom you speak so highly of. Pleasure to meet you, son.'

'Pleasure's all mine, Mr Evans,' said James courteously, shaking his hand.

When Mr Evans looked at his wristwatch, James mouthed to Lily '_Speak so highly of_?' Lily merely shot him a dirty look.

'I'll leave you two to get acquainted,' she said, as a form of punishment for the already-nervous James. 'I have some more goodbyes to give.'

She sped off before James could hold her back. First was Peter, whom she merely kissed quickly on the cheek. He blushed, but smiled, apparently pleased with himself. She then turned to Remus, who looked as though he was waiting for her.

'I'll be seeing you real soon, Remus,' she said affectionately, pulling him in the tightest embrace she could manage.

'Yeah … real soon,' he replied. 'Take care, Lily, and enjoy all the peace you can get while you can. I can't imagine James and Sirius wanting to leave you alone for the entire summer.'

Lily grinned as she pulled away from him. 'I've learnt some pretty amusing hexes over the year.'

'As if you didn't know any already,' said Sirius, joining them. 'I remember in fifth-year, when –'

'Oh, Sirius!' said Lily.

She gave him a hug as well. He was taken my surprise, but still hugged her back.

'If I don't see you over summer –' she began.

'– which you will –'

'– I'm going to miss your presence, anyway,' she said, breaking away from him. 'I'm going to so badly miss the way you tease me.' She looked at Peter and Remus as she continued, 'I've never really known sibling love … but you guys come pretty close. It's quite scary, actually. Promise you'll be there for me as you pretty much have been all year?'

''Course,' said Sirius quietly. 'You're like a sibling to me too, like a little sister. You should know I'll always be here for you, always, even if things between you and James don't work out – which I highly doubt.'

'Me too,' said Lily, looking over to James and her father. 'I like him. I think I'm going to hold onto him. Anyway,' she said, snapping back to them, 'you guys have to write to me every week, if we don't see each other that often –'

'– which we will,' Sirius interrupted again. 'Hey, I think Mrs Potter wants you.'

Lily turned around and saw Mrs Potter waving kindly at her. She turned back, exchanged a last goodbye and skipped to Mrs Potter, who embraced her lovingly, as though she were a daughter.

'You must come and visit at one point,' she said kindly, releasing the redhead.

'Of course,' said Lily happily, 'I don't need to be told. I hope to see you soon.'

'You too, dear,' the old woman replied, smiling.

Lily left her in Sirius's company, approaching her father who looked delighted with whatever he and James were talking about – what common ground had they found?

'I think it's time we leave, Lily,' said Mr Evans, smiling. He turned around for about three seconds to glance up at the clock, giving Lily and James time to lock lips.

'Bye, then, James,' said Lily, hugging him tighter than she had hugged anyone that day.

'It's hardly "bye",' he replied, 'only "see you soon". Really soon, I promise. You won't even have time to miss me.'

She smiled sadly and turned away from him. She lifted her suitcase and walked off with her father, her long, red hair dancing behind her. Before they were completely out of sight, she turned a fraction and saw the Marauders looking back at her with somewhat sad and thoughtful expressions. She smiled and waved, for this wasn't goodbye, after all, this wasn't the end.

It was the start of a new chapter, the beginning of a beautiful life together.


	44. Questions, etc

**Why didn't you make Marlene a main character so she could be with Sirius?**

- In DH when Lily wrote to Sirius, she mentioned the McKinnons' deaths - I don't think she'd have done that if Marlene and Sirius were together at one point.

**The Heads' room ... it vanished.**

- I abandoned the idea, not believing it to be realistic. I mean, it wasn't in the books.

**Why isn't there a Heads' _dorm_? It would've been more romantic.**

- When Percy was Head Boy, he chilled in the common room like everyone else. I wanted this story as close to the books as possible.

**Why didn't Sirius and Vanessa get together?**

- J.K. said Sirius was too busy being a big rebel to commit, and Vanessa wanted someone who'd commit. They're just too different.

**Remus didn't get anyone in the end.**

- That's not a question. BUT Remus was meant for Tonks. And Tonks isn't in the picture yet.

**Whaddup with Lily?**

- When I first read about her in Rowling's books, I didn't imagine her as being short-tempered as she often is in Fanfics. According to JKR, she was kind, vivacious and a catch with the boys.

**There aren't any passionate snogging scenes!**

That's not a question, either. Anyway, I wanted to keep it T. HP was, after all, written for kids.

Time for thankfulnesses

Huge thanks to my big nine –

**owlsRforever**, cArLySTAR15, **alicenotinwonderland**, Sleeping Kangaroo, **DarthAbby**, Alpha's Opinianated Law, **chocoyum4, ** and **JaneSkye**. You guys are like the reason I had the will to update on a weekly basis (even though that didn't always happen …), and you more often than not kept me amused between updates.

A special thanks to –

Frissa, **Turn**-**On**-**The**-**Stars**, MusicMarvel, **hplover321**, wisegirlweasley, **Kelsthereader**, monamoi, **Hagis10**, Louey06, **weasleytwins12** and WritingAngel304for just being plain awesome ^_^

Also, thank you to –

Archer117, belly84, DarlingILoveYou, WhereIsMyThumpThump, Book-Mania-Girl520, MXlover5, SeriouslySiriusBlack, R.I.P. Jake AmaraMichelle, I luv odd socks, A La Dark Angel, ForeverSinging, maraudersgal333, Novelnerd97, fanfic-fanatic1197, Just-As-Loony-As-Luna, Cora Jane Lee, CookieMonster960 and many more, including unsigned reviewers – you guys have all, on one occasion at least, made my day or made me feel a little better, so thanks. It really does mean a lot.

And last, but not least, thanks to all those who favourite/alerted me or my story(-ies). You guys make me happy (: I spent longer on this fanfic than I intended to, even though I was going to give it up along the way, but, mostly because of you guys, I kept writing. And, although I don't like it much, it's mine, so thanks ^_^

I'm gonna be honest, Imma miss you guys, miss writing this fic. It's been a rough year and a half … but you guys were awesome (:

Look out for the sequel, which follows Lily and the Marauders through from '78-'81! I'm uploading it soon.

LittleRed


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